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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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Norfolk Spaniel, 
The property of Mr. F. II. F. Mercer. 



THE SPANIEL 



AND 



ITS TRAINING. 



By F. H. F. mercer, 

("D. BOULTON HERRALD," "CLUMliEK," "DOGWHIT," ETC.) 
KENNEL EDITOR OF " SPORTS AFIELD." 



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CIIAMI'ION "bene silk.' 



To Which is Added the American and Eng- 
lish Spaniel Standards. 




NEW YORK: 

Forest and Strea:\i Publishing Co. 

1890. 






Copyright, iSgo, by 
The Forest and Stream Publishing Co. 



/Z-3U3I 



PREFACE. 

When, several years ago, I stood in need of a 
work to instruct me in the art of spaniel training, I 
found that none existed which was at all suited to 
my needs. I had, perforce, to study out the subject 
for myself without assistance and to be my own 
tutor in threading its intricacies. The training 
system described in this book is the result of my 
labors, and while I do not proclaim it to be infallible, 
still I am positive that most, if not all, spaniels may 
be well and thoroughly taught if the rules laid down 
herein are strictly followed. 

In the main it is purely original, for it was not 
until I had practically completed the system, to my 
own satisfaction at any rate, that 1 read a book on 
general training. 

It has been thought that such a work as this would 



vi Preface. 

be acceptable to many sportsmen, especially to 
novices in spanieldoin, and certainly if one may judge 
by the numerous queries to be seen in our sporting 
papers, as to where a book on spaniel training may 
be obtained, there will be no lack of readers for 
this, the pioneer publication of its kind. 

F. H. F. Mercer. 
Ottawa Club, February, 1890. 



CONTENTS. 

Page 

Chapter I. — Introductory, - - 9' 
Chapter II. — Spaniels, - - - 18 
Chapter III. — Selection, - ^$ 
Chapter IV. — Preliminary Hints, - - 44 
Charper V. — First Lessons, - - 49 
Chapter VI. — Retrieving, - - - 57 
Chapter VII. — Retrieving from Water, 69 
Chapter VIII. — "Heel," "Hie On," - 73 
Chapter IX. — Dropping to Hand, Com- 
mand, Shot and Wing, - - 76 
Chapter X. — Gunshyness, - - 80 
Chapter XI. — Ranging, - - - 84 
Chapter XII. — Miscellaneous Hints, - 95 
Chapter XIII. — A Day Afield, - - 100 
Chapter XIV. — Spaniels in America, 108 
Chapter XV. — Standards of English 

and American Spaniel Clubs, - 122 



The Spaniel and its Training. 



CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

To THE best of my knowledge there is not in 
all America a professional trainer of spaniels. 
When one considers the immense numbers of these 
dogs owned throughout the continent, it is a matter 
of surprise that some enterprising individual does 
not launch an establishment for the training of the 
sporting varieties. No one, however, has done so 
as yet. 

In England they have the advantage over us, for 
many gamekeepers on the estates of noblemen and 
landed gentry find time to train a spaniel or two for 
outsiders each season. But with the alterations 
brought about by the "improved" farming now in 



to TJic Spaniel ajid Its Training. 

vogue there, the spaniel's days as an actual sporting 
dog are well nigh numbered. The keepers who 
could at one time pocket fifty guineas for a broken 
spaniel, cannot now sell for a fifth of the sum a dog 
of just as perfect training. Consequently the spaniel 
has been neglected, and English keepers have turned 
their attentions to the more lucrative breeds — point- 
ers, setters and retrievers. 

There are men, however, even in England, who 
still maintain that the spaniel is, par excellence, the 
dog for all around shooting. On several large estates 
these dogs are used exclusively on all game, 'and I 
understand that heavy bags are made over them 
annually. 

All books, in which the training of spaniels for 
the field has been touched upon, have been written 
by Englishmen, consequently their methods cannot 
be followed by us. We do not take the field with a 
team of four to eight spaniels, a man to handle the 
dogs, a beater or two, keeper, and two or three 
"guns." Nor is our shooting done over land of 
which every tree and bush and hedge is known to 
men and dogs. With one or two spaniels, aloive 
or accompanied by a friend, we cruise about over 
strange country, oftentimes, and first must exercise 
our woodcraft in learning where to eo for birds. 




-'^y^^ 



Irish Water Spaniel Bitch Champion "HArp," 
The property of Colonel The Hon. W. Le Poer Trench. 



12 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

The covert entered, we work the spaniels, shoot, 
mark birds down, take the game from our dogs, and 
carry it afterward. Ours is the rough and tumble 
style, the English the sport refined; though, asked 
which I should enjoy the better, my answer would 
not long be deferred. From this it will be seen that 
the methods of training and management must of 
necessity differ. 

The English recommend more outdoor training 
for their dogs than we can give ours, for few of us 
have suitable lawns and grounds at our disposal. 
Then too, the very climate is against any other than 
house training in winter time. 

A nonsensical notion prevails that a spaniel re- 
quires no training whatever to fit him for use afield, 
in covert or in marsh. Could anything be more 
foolish and silly? What that is worth doing can be 
done without previous preparation and training? and 
how can we expect a spaniel to start in the race han- 
dicapped with an entire ignorance of his vocation, 
not kno.wing what to do nor how to do it ? He does 
not, to be sure, need so careful and painstaking an 
education as his pointer or setter brethren require, 
still some teaching imperatively must be given him. 

As a rule, a spaniel is brimming over with life and 
spirits; and loves nothing better than to fly helter- 



Introductory. 13 

skelter through marsh and mire, over the fields and 
through the woods. This being done generally some 
hundred yards ahead of the sportsman, is not the sort 
of work to fill the game bag; but rather is conducive 
to a sore throat and aching head, caused by fruitless 
yellings to unheeding ears. Then is the time when 
the sportsman feels sorely tempted to send one more 
canine to join the great majority by emptying the 
charges of both barrels into the riotous one's hide. 

A spaniel does not set game but flushes it, hence 
the name "springer." Consequently it is absolutely 
necessary that he should be kept to his range and 
never permitted to run beyond easy gun shot. For 
instance, you are walking in the woods, your spaniels 
questing about, not more than twenty yards away. 
By their actions you know they are "feathering," 
/. t'., coming upon the scent of game. Keep your gun 
at the ready ! The dogs look toward you every now 
and then, taking care not to follow on the trail too 
fast. They reach the birds and with a plunge and a 
frantic waving of sterns they are in. Whirr ! Whirr ! 
Three ruffed grouse flush within twenty yards and 
you are allowed ample time to get in both barrels 
with telling effect. 

A spaniel may easily be taught to set birds; but 
in my opinion it is nut desirable to do this. Every- 



14 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

thing to its appointed work — the hound to trail, the 
pointer and setter to point or set, and the spaniel to 
flush. There is a great deal in what " Idstone " 
writes in his book : " In thick covert, wherever it 
is over two feet six or three feet high, spaniels should 
be used in preference to any other sort of dog. 
People used to write of using pointers in cover with 
bells on their necks, but the bells ought to be on the 
cap of the pointer's owner. I confess I have done 
this very thing myself years ago, but it was with an 
old pointer, and at the time the only one I had ; but 
it is sheer folly to talk or write of using a pointer for 
spaniel work. A keeper, the other day, brought a 
spaniel to me, which he said with a grin, stood like 
a pointer, and appeared dumbfounded when I re- 
joined: ' That is not his trade.' " 

It only stands to reason that spaniels should be 
superior to their ranging brethren, the pointer and 
the setter, for routing out birds ; for, while the 
rangers must keep their heads up and quest for wind 
scent, the spaniel has his nose on the ground and 
can trace both foot and body scents. 

I recollect well one lovely October day when 
afield with the spariels. AVe were crossing an ex- 
tensive clearance on the way to a favorite covert of 
•mine and I found the greatest difficulty in preventing 



Introductory. 15 

the dogs from running out to the right, where I 
could distinctly see, so I thought, that there was 
nothing. At length losing patience I let them go, 
and they ran straight as arrows in their flight for 
quite fifty yards, and flushed a covey of a dozen 
ruffed grouse ! I could not see them on the treeless 
hillside, but their scent discovered the birds to the 
spaniels even at this great distance. 

This is not an isolated case, for 1 have time and 
again seen them do the same thing, though not to so 
marked a degree. A peculiar instance of a spaniel's 
capacity to profit by wind scent occurred on one 
of my hunts. Just at dusk I had shot a duck, which 
fell some distance off. My retrieving spaniel lay on 
the bottom of the canoe and certainly did not see 
the bird fall. The water was deep and I did not 
send him after it, but paddled to the spot where I 
had marked the game down. No sign of a bird was 
to be seen, therefore I ordered the dog to "seek 
dead." He at once jumped into the water and, dis- 
regarding my orders to him to seek ahead where I 
believed the bird lay, swam back quite twenty yards 
and picked up the duck, which was quite dead ! It 
was altogether too dark for him to have seen it, so 
the bird could only have been traced by scent. 

As for following up and puzzling out a foot scent. 



1 6 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

I have seen a spaniel puppy trail a "flapper" in all 
its windings for a quarter of an hour and finally 
effect its capture. This, too, when he had been 
put upon the scent certainly many minutes after 
the bird had escaped from the game bag in which I 
had confined the duckling. 

The pointer and setter gallop, the spaniel walks or 
trots — which then is the more likely to discover close 
lying birds? The spaniel searches the ground 
thoroughly that his galloping brethren would race 
over. Does it not stand to reason that he can dis- 
cover birds that the others would pass by? 

Having occasion once to spend a day in woods 
where I had done a good deal of shooting, I took 
with me a pointer and a setter. All through the day 
they found not a solitary bird (it was in the moult- 
ing season). A few days later I went over the same 
woods accompanied by a spaniel, who routed out a 
goodly number of grouse. 

Never, in my recollection, have I turned my span- 
iels in where birds had been marked down, that they 
failed to account for them. Few can say this of 
their pointers or setters, though for many spaniels 
the claim would be a just one. 

Let it not for a moment be imagined that I advo- 
cate the use of the spaniel for open shooting on 



Introductory. 1 7 

large meadow lands or prairies. There is the do- 
main of the pointer and the setter, and in it they 
cannot be excelled. The covert and wooded coun- 
try is the spaniel's ground, and in this, his sphere, 
he is unapproachable. 



CHAPTER II. 

SPANIELS. 

IT is now in order to give a brief description of 
the several varieties of working spaniels, to- 
gether with a consideration of their respective claims 
to usefulness in the field. 

The spaniel, as the name denotes, came origin- 
ally from Spain, " notwithstandying yat ther ben many 
in othir countries," vide " The Maister of the Gaime," 
by Edmund de Langley; and from his description 
of the " Spaynel " I infer that even at the time he 
wrote (in the fourteenth century), there were more 
varieties than one of this useful dog. 

Dr. Johannes Caius, writing at a later date, notes 
the fact that a new variety had been introduced into 
England from France. These dogs were white and 
black in color, and from this we can, without dififi- 
culty, see that the modern black spaniel may have 




From •' The American Book of the Dog." 



Clumber Spaniel Dog Champion "Johnny, 
The property of Mr. F, H. F. Mercer. 



20 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

come b^'- his color honestly through judicious breed- 
ing and selection of specimens of the black and 
white persuasion. 

The Irish Water spaniel is the first of the varieties 
to be considered, as the English water dog in its 
purity is extinct. In the East good specimens are far 
from being common; but in the Central and Western 
States they enjoy a fair share of popularity, and, 
comparatively speaking, are there owned in num- 
bers. The show benches, too, in those sections of 
the country, contain Irishmen of a far higher grade 
than the East can boast. As a breed, the Irish Water 
spaniel can never become popular with any but wild 
fowl shooters, for, outside of water work, they are of 
little service. Such unkempt, ragged-looking creat- 
ures are they, that the Paddies as companions are 
anything but ornamental, though that wild-looking 
eye is certainly attractive. The coat exhales a most 
unpleasant odor, arising from the oil with which the 
hair is saturated— nature's provision against the icy 
water in which they are so often required to work. 

In Ireland, the place of their nativity, as the name 
denotes, there were two varieties — the northern and 
the southern, the latter being more generally known 
as the " MacCarthy breed," after a gentleman of that 
name. The northern breed is now, as far as recogni- 



spaniels. 21 

tion goes, extinct, and it is scarcely probable that 
there are any pure specimens living to-day. They 
were lower on the leg than their brethren of the 
south, averaging 19 or 20 inches in height at the 
shoulder, with short legs, long bodies, close coats, 
short ears, without feather, and altogether, to quote 
l.Ir. J. S. Skidmore, " like a bad specimen of a liver- 
colored retriever." The prevailing type of what is 
now known as the Irish water spaniel was built up, 
in fact owes its very existence to, Mr. Justin Mac- 
Carthy, an Irish gentleman whose published des- 
cription of the breed in- the London Field as far 
back as 1859, is identical in all salient points with 
the modern standard. At their legitimate work — 
wild-fowl retrieving from the water — it is a question 
if their superiors exist, not excepting even the 
vaunted Chesapeake Bay dog; but in thorny, dense 
coverts their curled coats and long heavily feathered 
ears are a terrible handicap. Despite the willing- 
ness of these plucky dogs to work a/iyic/ierc, the)' 
cannot be considered good workers afield. As may 
be imagined, the " wild Irishman " is a natural re- 
triever and requires but little teaching to perfect him 
in this branch, though he is inclined to be hard in 
mouth, consequently the greatest care should be ex- 
ercised in this branch of his education. 



2 2 Tlie Spaniel and Its T'uiniiig. 

An extinct variety of the spaniel family is that 
known as the English Water spaniel, and a sad pity 
it is that the breed has been lost, for by what one 
can gather from those who knew the dog, he must 
have been a useful animal indeed. The breed is 
said to have had its origin in a union of the old 
world water dog and the spaniel. As retrievers of 
wounded game they are said to have excelled, and 
altogether appear to have been '•'varmints" for work. 

The Clumber spmiel, some writers contend, is the 
origin '1 land* spaniel, and their contention is cer- 
tainly borne out by weighty evidence. About two 
hundred years ago the immediate founders of the 
present race were imported into England by the 
then reigning Duke of Newcastle from the kennels 
of the Due de Noailles in France. The name is de- 
rived from the Nottinghamshire seat of the house 
of Newcastle, Clumber, where they were taken on 
iheir landing from France and have since been main- 
tained. The breed is very scarce in America, and 
strangely so, for not only are they beautiful and at- 
tractive dogs, but workmen of the " Garter " order 
of merit. In the water the Clumber is almost as 
much at home as on the land, consequently he makes 
a most excellent wild-fowl retriever. The light color, 
however, is against him for this work, as it readily 



Spain els. 23 

reveals his presence to the keen-eyed duck. The 
Clumbers' scent is of the keenest, they range close 
to the gun, require less training for field work than 
does any other breed, and being perfectly mute when 
on game, are enabled to draw right up to the birds 
before flushing. The breed is fast gaining friends, 
and soon I hope to see it receive the recognition 
that is only its due. 

The cradle of the Sussex spaniel may be said 
to have been Rosehill, in the county of Sussex in 
England. What the origin of the variety may have 
been it is impossible to say, and while some writers 
claim for it the palm of greater antiquity than any 
other breed of the spaniel, it is noteworthy that 
neither De Langley nor Caius mention dogs in any 
way resembling the Sussex. From one cause and 
another the breed became practically extinct in its 
purity, and in 1872 several admirers of the handsome 
"golden livers," notably Mr. T. B. Bowers, banded 
together for the purpose of bringing about its re- 
suscitation. Their efforts were crowned with suc- 
cess, and we have now, in all probability, better 
specimens of this beautiful and useful variety than 
ever were before. In America they are scarce at 
the time of writing; but no doubt when the dog be- 
comes better known this will be remedied. They 



24 The Spaniel and Its Traifjing. 

are dogs of unquestionable beauty, being of a rich 
golden liver in color, and built on somewhat the same 
lines as the Clumber, though, unlike that silent aris- 
tocrat, they give tongue freely when at work. The 
Sussex is an excellent dog afield. The most prob- 
able reason for their lack of popularity with sports- 
men is that the color blends so exactly with the 
hues of an autumnal covert that the dog is in danger 
of being shot, owing to his master's inability to de- 
tect his exact whereabouts. This objection, however, 
would not hold good with duck shooters, and I have 
no doubt that they could readily be trained to do 
duty in water as well as on land. 

Though virtually extinct in its purity, the impress 
of the Norfolk spaniel may still be seen in the liver 
and white nondescript spaniels, of which one sees so 
large a number. The writer owned a pure bred 
Norfolk spaniel a dozen years or more ago. He was 
a very beautiful and intelligent dog, but had been 
spoiled for work afield when young, through having 
been struck about the head with some stray pellets 
of shot. They were exceedingly useful shooting 
dogs, although arrant babblers, a most objectionable 
trait in a sporting dog; but as an offset to this, the 
Norfolk was good alike on or in either element. The 
breed is said to have been originated by a Duke of 



spaniels. 25 

Norfolk, hence the name. Youatt, in his work on 
the dog, ascribes the origin to a union between the 
black and tan terrier and the spaniel, but the state- 
ment is most difficult to credit. 

By far the most popular spaniels of the present 
time are the black field and cockers. The blacks 
were first brought prominently into public notice in 
England by the late Sir Francis Burdette, and from 
him the better known Mr. Phineas Bullock obtained 
his best dogs. As for the origin of the variety, we 
cannot do better than quote from the remarks of 
Mr. 'lliomas Jacobs, of Newton Abbott, England, 
who is facile princcps of admirers and breeders of 
the black spaniel: 

" Much has been written and said on the purity 
of the breed, deprecating the means I have adopted 
to produce them as calculated to alter a presumed 
type, and frequent missiles have been hurled at me 
and my dogs from behind the hedge. But where is 
the pure bred black spaniel we hear so much about? 
Proof of the existence of the pure bred one (if there 
ever was one !) has not been forthcoming. Like 
most sporting dogs, they are the result of different 
crosses. 

" I have bred many times from the most noted 
dogs and bitches said to be the only pure strain of 



26 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

black spaniel, and have never known them to throw 
one even litter of blacks, always a mixture — liver, 
black, black and white, black and tan; some with 
long, some short, bodies and legs, curly, wavy and 
smooth, and all sizes and shapes. 

" What does this indicate? Common-sense tells 
me a cross with different types, varieties and colors 
some time or other must have been introduced. I 
ndver can believe there ever was a distinct breed of 
black spaniel, nor do I believe the Sussex is a dis- 
tinct breed; it is true we can trace them back for 
many generations, like we do the Laverack setter, 
but how were they derived in the first place?" — 
(From the Illustrated Book of the Dog.) 

In popularity and in the number of its representa- 
tives entered at our shows the black spaniel is sec- 
ond only to the cocker spaniel. With their beautiful 
jet black, glossy coats, and lean, ''blood-like" heads, 
they form a most attractive feature of the show 
benches, though candor obliges me to admit that as 
at present bred the black spaniel would soon tire in 
covert. When bred up a little more "on the leg," 
however, they make rattling good workers. 

There are, of course, field spaniels that display 
colors other than liver and black, apart from the 
Norfolk; but these may be classed with the blacks, 




tYom " The American Book of the Dog." 

Clumber Spaniel Puppy "Quester," 
Tlie property of Mr. F, H. F, Mercer. 



Copyriglit. 



28 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

as they are judged under the same standard, bar 
the color of coat. 

We now come to the most popular variety of its 
family in America — the cocker. This, the smallest 
of all sporting spaniels, was in early days more fre- 
quently met in the ancient kingdom of Wales and 
in the county of Devonshire, than elsewhere in the 
British Isles. The name is derived from these dogs 
having been principally used in woodcock shooting, 
hence cocking spaniel — cocker. 

That it is an actual and unadulterated breed no 
one who has seen a litter of so-called cocker spaniels 
can believe for one moment. Whether the toy spaniel 
emanates from the cocker or vice versa it is impos- 
sible to say, but it is significant that Youatt in his 
book gives a fine steel engraving entitled "Blen- 
heims and Cockers," that the ty])es of both are iden- 
tically the same, and that that type is tJic toy. 

The distinction drawn nowadays between cockers 
and the field spaniels is merely one of weight, a 
spaniel weighing over 28 lbs. having to compete in 
the field class, and vice versa, no matter what the 
characteristics of the individuals may be. The ab- 
surdity of this must be apparent to any thinking man. 
The great majority of the show cockers of the day 
are nothing more nor less than small field spaniels. 



spaniels. 29 

111 no breed of the spaniel has so great an altera- 
tion been effected in structural formation as in the 
cocker. From an active, lively little dog, rather high 
on the leg, he has been moulded into a very long- 
bodied, short-legged creature. A champion cocker 
of to-day could not last through a hard day in covert 
or marsh. 

To quote an emment breeder, Dr. Boulton, of 
Beverley, Yorkshire, who has done more than any 
other man to rescue the cocker from oblivion : " While 
the smallest of all sporting spaniels, he is neither a 
weed nor a toy." Yet, surely the now prevailing 
type is more of a toy than anything else ! The fol- 
lowing letter was written to me by Dr. Boulton: 
" You ask my opinion of the modern cocker spaniel 
as a worker. I can only speak of my own breed and 
can most confidently assure you, that after sending 
specimens all over the world, /. <'., to most counties 
of England, Scotland and Ireland, Wales, the Chan- 
nel Islands, France, America, Australia, Smyrna, etc., 
etc., the universal verdict has been Ai in the field. 
As to their success on the show bench, I can say that 
I never sent my dogs to any show where they failed 
to score, and that most winners on the show benches 
of late years have been the result of my breed or 
crosses with my old strain. 



30 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

" As to the history of my strain, I can look back 
to when I was a lad aged twelve years, I was visiting 
an uncle in York, who went to call on an old sport- 
ing friend, taking me with him. I saw, and at first 
sight fell in love with, his old-fashioned team oi liirr 
and white ticked cocker spaniels, and on the spot 
registered a vow that if ever I lived to be a man I 
would have dogs like them. 

" Many years passed over, and after settling here 
in Beverley, January, 1855, my mind was fixed as 
ever on the determination of my boyhood. Not a 
spaniel of any kind was here nor in the neighbor- 
hood. One day, however, when .the East York 
militia was, for the first time, billeted in Beverley, I 
was driving through the town and saw a militiaman 
with a sweet little liver-colored cocker bitch. I 
stopped him, ascertained where he was billeted and 
made him promise not to sell the bitch till I had 
seen him again. On my return I called on him and 
bought this bitch. I found her nose perfect, also 
that she was one of the most untiring little spaniels 
I had ever met with. 

" I crossed her with a black spaniel dog, passing 
through the town the following year. His pedigree 
I could not get, but he bore it on his face and type. 
I then picked up, at a high figure, a real pedigree. 



spaniels. 3 1 

old world black cocker dog, and crossed him with a 
bitch of the first cross from the liver bitch, etc. Our 
great judge, Mr. Lort, became deeply interested in 
my earnest endeavors to save from extinction the old 
English cocker, and from time to time wrote to me 
where I could find a desirable cross or specimen, 
I culled with the utmost determination all the blood 
I could secure of the strain produced by the late Sir 
Francis Burdette, and when I exhibited for the first 
time at Manchester in the Puppy Class, my Rex and 
Rhea, taking first prize with Rhea, second prize with 
Rex, Mr. Lort, the judge, was delighted and proph- 
esied the success that would surely attend my en- 
deavors. Since Rex and Rhea won at Manchester, 
I can only say I never exhibited without winning 
prizes, and have scored at all our best shows, Bir- 
mingham, Crystal Palace, etc., etc., etc. 

" I fear all this rigmarole must sound very egotis- 
tical, but it cannot be avoided when writing of one's 
own productions. 

" Of one thing I am confident, viz.: that the modern 
show bench cocker cannot be of any practical use if 
required for the work of the old world cocker. 

" The face of our country is so altered that we 
have little use for the cocker spaniel now, which once 
was the very best all-round sporting dog in existence. 



32 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

the most perfect in nose, and, at the same time, the 
most active and untiring. 

" Common sense and experience must convince 
any thinking mind that a long, loiu dog, with com- 
paratively weak loins, cannot possibly work so long 
or with such activity as a shorter-backed animal on 
straight legs and with good feet and a more perfect 
concentration of muscular power. 

" I feel sure that your ideas of ivhat a spaniel should 
be agree with mine; indeed, I have been specially 
struck with the practical ideas of American spaniel 
fanciers on the points and necessary requirements of 
this variety of sporting dog. All I can add in con- 
clusion is this, if you, as you say you do, possess any 
of the old Rhea strain, stick to it and treasure it as a 
priceless possession, for in this country, since I gave 
up breeding, our fanciers have so crossed the breed 
that the very type is altered, and with this change I 
fear its utility also." 



CHAPTER III. 



SELECTION. 



TOO much care cannot be taken in selecting a 
dog, no matter what the breed, and spaniels 
are not an exception to the general rule. It is wasted 
time to spend days and weeks in the invariably vain 
attempt to make a worker out of a dog that has no 
natural ability. 

A high-class working spaniel must come of work- 
ing stock, be high-couraged, obedient, keen of scent, 
enduring and persevering. A dog that will flinch 
from a thorny thicket or funk a miry pond is of little 
use, for just there the birds are most likely to lie. 

A wild one can, with judicious handling, be 
moulded into a most valuable animal, but the chances 
are greatly against a timid animal turning out to be 
of much use. For my part, the only dog I should 
give up trying to train would be a timid, spiritless 



34 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

creature, such as one so often sees. In time, one of 
the crouching, nerveless wretches might be made 
something of, but it would be so unlikely that I cer- 
tainly should not persist in the attempt. Of course 
if a person has plenty of spare time, and an insuffi- 
ciency of the wherewithal to purchase another dog, 
he needs must do the best that can be done with the 
material at hand, and by dint of perseverance and 
ceaseless patience perchance will succeed in making 
a worker out of h'xs/ain^int. 

In the first place, be sure to purchase a thorough- 
bred, whatever the variety. He may turn out a rank 
bad one, but the chances of his doing so are infini- 
tesimally less than that of a mongrel's so doing. 
The former comes of a "straight" stock, the latter 
of the reverse; and while you may have owned, seen 
or heard of a mongrel that was a good shooting dog, 
you might have to try scores of curs and then not 
get a decent worker. Probably for every good work- 
ing cur there are five hundred thoroughbreds his 
equal or superior, only one is so surprised at the 
cur's good qualities, appearing where they do, that 
he magnifies the performance to an undue degree. 
Whereas from the thoroughbreds one expects much, 
and little is thought of their achievements in conse- 
quence. 




a H 



36 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

We often hear and read of " common little yellow 
dogs, part terrier and the rest just dog" that the 
owner alleges he would not trade for acres of "blue- 
bloods." How he once bought one of the "most 
fashionable blood," a descendant of Rover and Ponto 
and other like celebrities, who wasn't worth the price 
of the powder and shot it would have taken to des- 
troy him, and, therefore, he knocked the brute's 
brains out with an axe. He does not mention how 
many "just dogs" he has tried, yet, because the one 
"blue blood" he owned was a failure, condemns all 
all thoroughbred canines to outer darkness ! On 
the same line of argument we might say that be- 
cause we have known one worthless cur, there never 
lived a cur worth his food. The contention cuts in 
two directions. 

Outside of the question of utility, it is most advis- 
able to acquire a thoroughbred. In the first place, 
instead of having to apologize for your dog's appear- 
ance several times a day by veraciously recounting 
his accomplishments as an offset to his ugliness, you 
experience the pleasurable sensation of hearing re- 
marks of admiration from friends and passers-by upon 
his beauty. Then, too, it should be remembered that 
there is more or less profit to be derived from the 
ownership of a thoroughbred. If a bitch, she can be 



Selection. 37 

bred to and the progeny sold. If a dog, his services 
will be in requisition to a greater or a lesser extent, 
as his individual merits warrant, even though he may 
never have been exhibited. 

Too many are led away by the promise of a puppy 
out of Smith's Juno (pedigree and breed unknown). 
She, mayhap, is a good-looking beast, and having 
been bred to Jones' Ponto (whose antecedents are 
an unknown quantity), the would-be dog-owner 
reasons that the offspring should be something 
" pretty good." In due course they appear upon 
the scene, and are pretty — nearly all puppies are, in 
a measure, and the happy recipient carries home the 
little lump of fat and fur with jubilation. He rears it 
with care and grows fond of it, but to his horror the 
dog grows more and more ugly every day, and when 
matured hangs about the house a constant source of 
chagrin to its master. 

If you wish to get hold of a worker, do not blindly 
rush to buy a dog from out of the kennel that is win- 
ning the greatest number of prizes in the show ring, 
but inquire carefully whether the proprietors or keep- 
ers are sportsmen and shoot over their winning stock. 
I have in mind a prominent exhibitor of spaniels who, 
in answer to my query as to whether he worked his 
champions, replied: "When I want to go shooting I 



38 , The Spaniel and Its Training. 

take my workers, Jack and Jill, Nebuchadnezzar 
[his crackj, would have made a good one, but he 
never was trained." 

While I do not, for a moment, mean to infer that 
prize takers cannot also be workers (indeed, I 
know that such is not the case, and so can any one 
ascertain who takes the trouble), I am alive to the 
fact that many prominent kennels are made up of 
dogs that not only have never heard a gun fired 
afield, but are bred from generations of stock of the 
same description, and such cannot be expected to 
make useful animals. The aptitude for work is dead 
within them. 

Do not trust too much to advertisements of how 
the dogs are regularly shot over each season. The 
"shooting over," for all you know, may be only a 
few random shots fired in the kennel yard by the 
conscientious owner, though others, of less tender 
sensibilities, may consider the statement in itself 
sufficient, and refrain from a reckless expenditure of 
ammunition. 

Seek, rather, kennels of well-known blood that 
are, beyond all doubt, good afield, and, if possible, 
at the same time one whose dogs are up to show 
form, for it largely adds to the value of a worker if he 
is known to possess the qualification of good points. 



Selection. 39 

The prevailing craze for spaniels so low that their 
stomach feathering sweeps the ground, and so short 
of limb that they can barely waddle, has sounded 
the death-knell of some varieties, at all events in the 
"show division," in so far as ability to work goes. 
Why it has been done is a mystery to all, and the 
only answer to be adduced is that "fancy" is to 
blame. Even upon the score of beauty, the croco- 
dile spaniels are behind. What unprejudiced man 
can look at an engraving of Kaffir, and then at 
Moonstone, and hesitate for a moment as to the 
former being the handsomer dog ! I cannot see 
why "low" in a standard should be construed into 
meaning lowest, and "long" into longest. If the 
craze goes much further an extra pair of legs will 
have to be grafted on amidships to help the poor 
seal -like spaniels crawl along. Extremes of any 
kind are detestable, whether it be a pug-nosed, cow- 
hocked mastiff, or a longest and lowest "modern" 
spaniel; and I think and hope that the time is com- 
ing when there will be a change. Mind you, I de- 
test an over-leggy dog, but for that reason I do not 
like one with no legs at all. 

The trouble, to a great extent, lies in the fact that 
no time nor trouble is devoted. to the breeding of 
"common-sense" animals; consequently a judge, no 



40 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

matter how favorably disposed, cannot consistently 
give the leggy, bad-headed, bad-coated and bad all- 
around "workers" brought before him the awards 
over the heads of carefully bred and cared for 
"show " animals. 

A spaniel is a sporting dog; so are setters, point 
ers and hounds. Would it not, then, be as sensible 
to breed "long and low" setters as spaniels of that 
type? One would have thought there were varieties 
enough of non-sporting dogs for the fancy fiend to 
turn his restless energies loose upon, and that so 
grand a breed of working dogs as the spaniel could 
be left "unimproved," but, alas! it is not so. The 
fad is omnipresent, and every breed has been either 
injured or benefited through its manipulations. 

Were I selecting a general purpose spaniel, a 
cocker should not be my choice. He is a good little 
dog for his inches, but is physically incapable of 
doing the work a larger spaniel can. He is unable, 
for instance, to bring a black duck or goose out of 
"bad" marshland, for he has not the requisite 
strength and size to admit of the possibility of his so 
doing. There is not enough dog. Even that through 
and through cocker enthusiast, Mr. Fellows, has ac- 
knowledged that for work he would rather have a 
dog over than under the standard weight (28 lbs.). 



Selection. 41 

Then, too, the cocker is, as a rule, more difificult to 
train than one of the larger varieties, for he is more 
impetuous and brims over with restlessness. My 
choice would be in the direction of the larger vari- 
eties. Clumber, Sussex, Norfolk or field, for there 
is in them to be found the same capabilities for 
work, with more power to do their duty and last 
through it, at the same time, with less of impetuosity. 

Nor must one expect to pick up a really first-class 
spaniel for a song. He may succeed in doing so, 
now and then, but certainly, like angels' visits, such 
prizes will be few and far between. I often receive 
letters of inquiry as to spaniels, in which the writers 
occupy several pages in describing the good qualities 
the dog they would buy must possess, and conclude 
by saying that they will not give a "fancy price" for 
the animal. No matter how moderate the price at 
which you quote your stock, considering its quality, 
breed and achievements, and, above all, the money 
it has cost you to get together and maintain, these 
people will howl " fancy price," probably for no other 
reason than that they can buy a nondescript mongrel 
for a "quarter." Every breeder of high-class stock 
knows how hard it is to pay bare running expenses, 
leaving out any consideration of the first outlay in 
the purchase of stock entirely. What one dog makes 



42 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

another loses, and so it goes. Food, attendance, 
housing, medicines, exhibiting, taxes, traveling ex- 
penses, etc., etc., cost money, and when all this is 
considered no fair-minded man can help admitting 
that $25 for a spaniel puppy of the best breeding 
and form, from a famous kennel, is not an extrava- 
gant price. 




C cy 



^ H 



CHAPTER IV. 



PRELIMINARY HINTS. 



BEFORE going into the details of training let 
me impress upon you the vital importance of 
keeping your temper under control. I am aware 
that this is decidedly difficult, especially when one is 
dealing with a wayward, heedless pupil, and I own 
to having frequently lapsed from my creed under 
trying circumstances. Still, every man can exercise 
a certain amount of control over himself, and if one 
wishes to meet with success in spaniel training, con- 
trol his temper he must. 

I had this brought forcibly before my notice not 
more than two months ago when training a team of 
spaniels. Among them was one that I had never 
handled before, consequently she was obstinate and 
very hard to manage. Her master was present and 
took it upon himself to bring her into a proper state 



Preliminary Hints. 45 

of behavior, but without success. He beat and beat, 
and yelled and shouted, but nothing would she do 
except either run away or lie down without moving. 

After enduring this exhibition for some minutes, 
I requested my friend to go away and leave the bitch 
to me. In a quarter of an hour she was doing as 
well or even better for me than any of the others! 
I simply kept my temper and handled her judiciousl}^ 

A dog studies the human face, and if he sees rage 
depicted thereon is almost certain to become fearful 
of what will follow, for intelligence teaches him that 
something surely will follow. If he is a timid ani- 
mal he becomes paralyzed with fear, and is incap- 
able of entertaining any thought but of the chastise- 
ment which he knows is impending. Is it likely, 
then, that he can bestow proper attention upon his 
work, when in constant terror of increasing your 
displeasure? 

There are those that tell us that dcgs cannot 
reason. What folly! Reason, Webster says is, "A 
thought or a consideration, as bearing on a deter- 
mination or an opinion." * * * ^^ (JQg gggg yQ^ 
take up your hat and immediately jumps up in the 
hope of being allowed to follow you in your walk. 
How could he do this did not your action bear on a 
determination in his mind that you were going out? 



46 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

This is but a single exemplification of scores that one 
may observe, if he but takes the trouble, any day of 
the year. 

Try to be kind, not brutal, with your dog — it will 
pay better in the end. Do not shout and scream at 
him in a frenzy — it frightens the game and gives you 
a sore throat. Use the whip as little as possible, but 
when its use is necessary, apply it with telling effect. 
One good, sound whipping is worth a dozen taps, 
and " Oh! you naughty dog, don't do so again." 

If you find it necessary to punish, call the dog to 
you, and taking hold of him by the throat, under- 
neath, make him look up in your face, and chide 
him severely, taking care to leave no doubt in his 
mind about your being displeased with him. Should 
the offense be of so flagrant a nature as to merit a 
whipping in expiation, scold him at the time you are 

plying the lash, saying, " Bad dog for doing 

(name the offense), bad dog !" 

Of the rival systems, training and breaking, the 
results are generally as follows: The trained dog 
obeys and works because he takes pleasure in the 
performance of his duty; the broken dog works me- 
chanically and in constant fear; in short, he is afraid 
not to. Which, think you, would it be the pleasanter 
to spend a day afield over ? 



Preliminary Hints. 47 

Gain the confidence of your dog. Never deceive 
nor play cruel tricks with him. There may be an 
immense amount of fun to be derived from holding 
a lighted cigar for a puppy to smell at, though for 
my part I can't see where the joke comes in; but I 
don't think any one will say that the dog enjoys 
it, nor that it is conducive to gaining his confidence. 

Be gentle, kind and considerate. Remember that 
a dog has feelings just as you or I have, and that 
you can offend him just as you can a human being. 
Above all, therefore, be patient and keep your temper. 

"You should have your dog so that he will tremble 
when you look at him and crouch to the ground when 
you speak to him." Such was the dictum of a sports- 
man of forty years' standing, as expressed to me 
some years ago. I did not say anything; neverthe- 
less I thought a lot, among the visions being, that to 
my certain knowledge he had never owned even a 
fairly good dog, supplemented by the notion that 
his system of training was to blame, not the poor 
dogs. 

Never kick your dog, for there is no knowing what 
injury a careless kick may do. A man's leg is tre- 
mendously strong, much stronger than his arm, and 
there is nothing easier than to fracture a couple of 
ribs, break a shoulder, or do some equally serious 



48 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

hurt by a kick. A man who will kick a dog does 
not deserve to have one. 

And another thing, letane pray you — do not teach 
your spaniel to tree grouse. Therein lies the secret 
of the decimation this matchless species has under- 
gone, for how can a bird sitting in a tree escape your 
shot! Is it any more sportsmanlike to shoot a 
"treed" grouse than a hen sitting on a fence? Pur- 
sued with setter or springing spaniel there can be no 
more wily bird than an old cock grouse; but when a 
"treeing" cur is after him, he has not as much sense 
as a barn-door fowl, by half. 

Just as human beings display temperaments di- 
rectly opposed to one another, so do dogs, and a 
successful trainer of spaniels will always be a good 
judge of dog nature. Scarcely any two dogs can be 
handled alike, each has his peculiarities, and it should 
be the trainer's study to learn their characters and 
treat them accordingly. He must understand his 
dogs. 



CHAPTER V. 



FIRST LESSONS. 



WHF.N a spaniel puppy is between two and four 
months he is usually taken from his dam. 
For my part I prefer the earlier age, as the pup be- 
comes more attached to one, as he is of necessity 
more dependent upon you at the earlier age. 

Some sportsmen believe it to be inadvisable to be- 
gin training a pup that is less than four or six months 
old; but if my advice is followed you will commence 
the lessons when the little creature is two to three 
weeks old. 

This, probably, strikes you as being absurd, but it 
is not. The lesson is not a very advanced one, to be 
sure, yet a lesson it is, nevertheless, and, moreover, 
the first step of the ladder. Of course in this case I 
am supposing you to be the owner or keeper of the 
dam and her nurslings. 



50 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

When going to the kennel where the bitch is con- 
fined with her puppies, make it a practice to whistle 
as you would if signalling to the grown dogs. It is 
well for every dog owner to have his own peculiar 
whistle, that the dogs may become accustomed to it 
and therefore enabled to distinguish it from others. 
Young as the puppies are, your whistling will attract 
their attention, and in time, when they are old enough 
to seek a little food themselves, they will at once be 
on the alert and keep a sharp watch for whatever 
may be "going." I have myself had puppies of only 
three weeks old, which, whenever I went into their 
kennel, would run to the feeding-pan, around which 
they would range themselves, and, sitting on their 
haunches, look expectantly up into my face. Young 
as they were, they knew whence came the dainties. 

Should there be any trace of gunshyness in their 
parental tree (and in what strain is there not?) it is 
well to guard against its reappearance by making 
noises when taking your pups their food. Begin, 
say, by banging a tin basin, gently at first, with a 
stick, and gradually hitting harder and harder, mak- 
ing a proportionately increased uproar thereby. 

When they cease to present any symptoms of fear, 
it is well to advance a step, firing a child's toy-pistol 
close by them, taking care that it does not make an 




Cocker Spaniel Bitch Champion " Khea, 
The property of Dr. W. W. Boulton. 



52 The Spaniel a/ui Its Training. 

overloud report. Confirmed gunshyness and its cure 
will be touched upon further on. 

If it is to be managed, by any possibility, bring 
up two puppies together. For many reasons it is ad- 
visable — they keep one another company, and there- 
by that dreadful squalling, vvith which a lonely, fright- 
ened puppy regales you throughout the " watches 
of the night," is prevented. It is but little more 
trouble, teaching two puppies than one, and often 
there is a rivalry between them that is a most advan- 
tageous aid to rapid progress. 

Let us suppose, then, that you have your puppy 
at home, safe and sound. He has already been ac- 
customed to the whistle, so that is done with. First 
make him understand that when you call or whistle 
it means that he is wanted. It is well to christen 
him at the outset, and always to use his name when 
addressing him. "Baby talk" I find most useful in 
gaining a new puppy's confidence, and in teaching 
him his name, for while fondling him I interlard the 
nonsense with his name as plentifully as possible. 

Should he refuse to come when called, catch hold 
of him and putting the hands behind his shoulders, 
drag him to the spot where you stood when the first 
call was given, saying, while doing so, " Come here, 
good dog. Jack, come here." Be careful to be gentle 



First Lessons. 53 

and that you do not betray in the sHghtest any mark 
of the anger and annoyance you may feel at his dis- 
regard of your orders. He is but a baby, bear in 
mind. 

When you come to your former standing place, 
let him go free and praise and pet him, saying, 
" Good dog, Jack, for coming here, good dog." At 
the same time bestow some dainty upon him, there- 
by inducing him to come when called in future in 
the hope of receiving similar rewards. 

Care should be taken against having any one pres- 
ent when a lesson is in progress. Neither should 
even an old dog be near during these preliminary 
lessons, for it would only serve to distract the pup's 
attention from the business in hand. 

Then, too, he should have but one instructor, for 
no matter if their systems of training are indentically 
the same, there is yet a difference in manner and in 
voice. 

Prevent his playing with children as you would 
shun a pestilence; in fact, the less a working-dog 
sees of children the better. Though it may be with- 
out your knowledge, they will throw sticks and 
stones for him to fetch, and then what becomes of 
his "mouth?" Especially when, as is oftimes their 
practice, they hold on to one end of the stick while 



54 The Spaniel and Its Traiiii/ig. 

the dog grabs the other extremity and a " tug of 
war" for its possession ensues. They will encour- 
age him to chase birds and cats and run riot gener- 
ally. If you wish the children to have a pet, buy 
them one by all means; but unless you wish your 
spaniel ruined, lay an interdict against their making 
a playmate of him. 

In these first lessons do not dream of whipping or 
scolding your pupil, neither employ a check-cord, 
choke-collar, or other restraining device. The pup 
must be made to look up to you as a companion and 
a friend, not as a taskmaster and an enemy. 

Many sportsmen believe in field training only for 
their spaniels; that is, in taking them out on the first 
of the season and, without preliminary training of 
any kind, with the aid of boot-toe and whip, bring- 
ing them under some sort of subjection. But a dog 
so " trained " is scarcely likely to turn out a success 
as a worker, and the treatment being a " kill or cure " 
one appears to me most undesirable. 

When I think of the splendid work I have got out 
of house-trained spaniel puppies on their first morn- 
ing afield, I cannot help but be an advocate for pre- 
liminary training. 

Undue haste cannot be too strongly deprecated. 
See that your pupil is thoroughly familiar with and 



First Lessons. 55 

grounded in the rudiments before you advance to 
higher branches. It is just as with a boy at school. 
He must learn his ABC before he can read or 
write, and so must your spaniel learn /its alphabet 
before he can graduate in the field. 

For my part, I should not dream of taking a 
youngster afield unless he had been house-trained 
previously. In my opinion, it is folly, pure and sim- 
ple. It takes but five minutes, or ten, here and there, 
for a month or two, while you are waiting for dinner 
or breakfast, thoroughly to house-train your dog. 
With him you can enjoy good sport the first day you 
take him out, whereas with a spaniel whose teaching 
has been reserved until the commencement of the 
shooting, you would have precious little fun for days 
and weeks to come. Where a man has a couple of 
steady old spaniels, it is different, for the puppies 
will speedily learn to imitate them; but even in that 
rare case it is best to house-train, more or less. 

I no longer give myself further trouble than to 
train my puppies to come when called, "heel," etc. 
A few days out with the old dogs and they are all 
right. My pups of the last three years will actually 
drop what they may be carrying at the command of 
"dead," and this without having been trained at all ! 

When you find it necessary to punish your pupil, 



56 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

do so without the least delay, so that he may not be 
in doubt as to wherein he has erred. If sufficient 
time has elapsed between the committal of the mis- 
demeanor and his coming within your reach to ad- 
mit of the possibility of his having forgotten wherein 
he has done wrong, do not punish him. 

Above all, do not weary your pupil with prolonged 
lessons. When he exhibits any signs of indifference, 
discontinue the lesson for that day. 

Do not expect your dogs to learn everything at 
once. It took you a long time to learn reading and 
writing, and though you may say that the hunting 
sense is bred into sporting dogs, are not the "three 
Rs" bred into the bone in you? 



CHAPTER VI. 



RETRIEVING. 



THE first "field" lesson that should be taught 
is that of retrieving. I consider it the first 
because the most easily taught and the one in which 
the least amount of compulsion is necessary; for the 
puppy engages in it in pla)^ but before he knows 
what he is about, it becomes one of the ruling pas- 
sions of his life. Who can doubt this, when once he 
has seen a retriever begging to have something 
thrown for him to fetch, and quivering from head to 
foot with excitement at the anticipation of a plunge 
amid the ice of a half-frozen river. 

I must impress upon you of what vital importance 
it is that your pupil should never have been allowed 
to carry sticks, stones, or other hard substances in 
his mouth, nor yet allowed to tear and maul, for it 
will inevitably make him "hard in the mouth." 



58 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

Never yield to the dog — it is ruination. He must, 
from the outset, learn that he is to follow your wishes, 
not his own. 

Some sportsmen advocate delaying training to re- 
trieve until the puppy has lost his milk teeth, for, 
they contend, a dog is apt to be hard - mouthed 
should the exercises be begun earlier. In my ex- 
perience, following as I have the hereinafter des- 
cribed system, I have experienced no evil results 
from training dogs to retrieve at the earliest ages. 
I have in mind a spaniel in my kennel at the present 
moment that will catch and kill a rat one minute, 
squeezing the vermin into a pulp in so doing, and 
the next carry an ^g^ in his mouth without breaking 
it ! It is all a matter of training. 

Take an old and soft woolen sock, and after roll- 
ing it into a ball, stitch it through and through to 
prevent its coming unrolled. Then get the puppy 
by himself in a room. Sit down on the floor and 
call him to you. After fondling liun for a little, 
show him the ball and push it in his face, so that he 
will attempt to take it, and after making sure that 
he sees what is being done, throw it away a few 
inches. He will run to pick it up. 

When he does so, call to him, saying, " Come here 
and fetch it, Jack." If he brings the ball, praise and 




Cocker Spanikl Dog Ciiami>io\ "Or.o II. 
The property of Mr. J. P. Willey. 



6o The Spaniel and Its Training. 

pet him without stint, and take good care that he 
receives some dainty by way of reward. Whatever 
you do, do not pull the ball out of his mouth, for 
he will think there is no better fun than to pull, too, 
and if this practice grows upon him your birds will 
not look very well when sent to the kitchen or pre- 
sented to a friend. Holding him with one hand by 
the ''scruff" of the neck, take the ball in the other, 
saying, " Dead!" 

Should he refuse to deliver, as almost of course 
he will, force the jaws open by inserting the thumb 
and second finger at the base of the jaws and press- 
ing in hard. Then take the ball out of his mouth, 
saying while doing so, "DeadI Dead!" 

Some sportsmen prefer to have the dog lay the 
bird down at their feet when retrieved, while others 
will not tolerate anything but a delivery into the 
hand. Where the bird is a wounded one and able 
to run, the latter plan is by far the more desirable 
of the two for obvious reasons. 

Of course the dog must be thoroughly trained to 
drop whatever he may be carrying when the order 
" Dead " is given. It is often convenient to have a 
sign take the place of a verbal command, as for in- 
stance, when you are duck shooting and birds are 
near. If then, when you deliver the verbal order. 



Retrieving. 6i 

you point the -right arm at him, holding the fore- 
finger out and the other fingers folded, he will 
speedily connect the two, and in the future a sign 
only will be necessary. 

Just as with a blind-deaf-mute, so with a dog. 
You must first gain a starting point in his under- 
standing, and so pass on and up in regular sequence, 
taking care always to keep "in touch" and not to 
hurry your pupil. 

Should the pup refuse to bring the ball to you, 
but either not notice it or run away into a corner 
with it and there indulge in a game of play, go to 
him in either event, and forcing the ball into his 
mouth, hold it there while at the same time you 
drag him to the place you threw from, whereupon 
proceed as before directed. 

Very gradually increase the distance of your 
throw, making the pup fetch further and further as 
he progresses. It is, indeed, a dull puppy that will 
not speedily learn to retrieve the thrown ball in a 
lesson or two, for he enjoys the fun and unwittingly 
learns the lesson, thinking it but a game of play. 

Make a point of obliging him to fetch the ball 
close up to you, whether he delivers to hand or drops 
the object at your feet; for, unless you do so, he 
may develop a habit of setting down a wounded 



62 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

bird far from you to please himself, dnd this might 
prove decidedly awkward, to express it mildly. 

It is well to train the dogs to seek things that you 
have dropped, either purposely or accidentally. 
When you see his eye is upon you, set down the ball, 
and saying, "Dead," make him go with you a few 
steps, then say, "Go back and fetch," waving your 
arm in the required direction. Should he refuse to 
obey the order, walk back with him, and pointing to 
the ball, proceed as before. If he still persists in 
his refusal to obey orders, go back again, and placing 
the object in his mouth, force him to bring it to 
where you stood. When this first step has been ac- 
complished, gradually increase the distance until at 
last you can send him back for hundreds of yards 
and even miles to look for a thing he has not seen 
you set down. 

Although this last mentioned accomplishment is 
not by any means necessary, it is as well to teach it 
to your pupil, as it not only may be useful at some 
time or other, but causes your spaniel to be more 
alert and to keep his eye constantly upon you. I 
remember being in a shop with a six months old 
spaniel that I was training. I had paid for my pur- 
chase and gone out when I noticed that the pup 
seemed anxious to attract my attention. After a bit 



J^r.trieving. (>t^ 

I stopped and asked him what he wanted, when he 
dropped a $io bill at my feet. On examining my 
"wad" I found that it was short just that amount, 
therefore 1 must have unknowingly lost it in the 
shop. That lesson, consequently, brought me out 
ahead just an X. 

Several of my spaniels have a peculiar trick of 
bringing me what I term a "present" when I return 
home. Whatever may come first to mouth, a stick, 
boot, piece of bone or paper, they at once take up 
and bring to me, walking round and round proudly. 
One bitch that my brother keeps for me in the 
country has developed this trait to a rather unpleas- 
ant extent, for after he has given her a beating or a 
scolding for some misdemeanor, he finds it well to 
examine carefully between the sheets before getting 
into bed, for, likely as not, Maude will have deposited 
tokens of peace there in the shape of old bones, dead 
mice and such like curiosities. One day, probably 
finding nothing else conveniently near, she took up 
a three or four days old chicken from a clutch that 
was running about, to present my brother on his ar- 
rival. He was later than usual that day, and the 
housekeeper, who saw the bitch take up the chicken, 
vouches for it that she carried it about lox two hours. 
The servants tried to take it from her, but she would 



64 Tlic Spaniel and Its Training. 

give it to none of them. On my brother's return 
they dried the chicken and it suffered no evil effects 
from the adventure. 

When the thrown ball has been nicely retrieved, 
we can advance the pupil a step, and to teach him 
to quest about for an object that he cannot see. 
Some sportsmen believe in employing pieces of meat 
or biscuit for this, but, for my part, I incline to using 
a game bird's wing. "Train up a child in the way 
he should go, and when he is old he will not depart 
from it," you know. 

When you have accustomed him to the change 
from the ball to the feathers, show them to the pup 
and put him out of the room. Then place the wing 
in some out-of-the-way corner, and, opening the 
door, say, "Seek dead and fetch him out," motion- 
ing at the same time in the direction he is to go, 
with the right hand. I say with the right, because 
it is generally the custom to hold the gun after firing 
in the left hand as in unloading, and the right hand 
is free. Should he fail to understand your meaning, 
go yourself to where the wing is hidden, show it to 
him, taking care that he does not seize it, saying, 
"Dead bird," then return to where you at first stood 
and repeat the order, signalling, at the same time, 
in the manner before described. 



Retrieving. 65 

Most probably he will obey and fetch, but if not, 
why you must force him to do as he is told. As he 
progresses, hide the wing in more and more out-of- 
the-way places, until at length he will search the 
house from cellar to attic in hope of finding it. It 
will be well, after a time, to use two or three wings, 
which must be hidden in different places, and the 
spaniel must be made to retrieve one after the other 
until all are found, for unless this is done, he may, 
when two or more birds are down, retrieve the first 
one perfectly, but utterly refuse to even quest for 
the others. Indeed, I have myself had instances of 
this, and very annoying it is, I can assure you. 

A spaniel remembers whatever may have been 
taught him in his youth, and a habit once formed in 
him is most difficult to eradicate. For instance, 
once when training two dogs I forgot to make them 
keep literally at heel, /. <?., with nose just in a line 
with my heels when walking, and now they insist 
upon running, when at heel, with their head or noses 
in a line with my knee. This, as may be conceived, 
is most annoying, especially when one has a com- 
panion, as t]|eir heads constantly rub against one's 
legs. Even now they could be broken of this an- 
noying trick by my having a "snap" fastened to the 
end of a stick about three feet in length This 



66 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

would be attached to their collars and by means of 
the stick they could be held at the proper distance 
behind, until at length they would, by force of habit, 
remain there. It is a very tiresome plan, but a most 
efificacious one. 

While the retrieving lessons are- in progress, take 
especial pains to insure the pup's always being suc- 
cessful in the search. Should he be unable to find 
the object that he is sent in search of, show him 
where it is hidden and then make him fetch. On 
no account deceive the youngster by sending him 
off on false scents or by pretending to throw, for 
by no means must his confidence in you be shaken. 

It is well, after he has been thoroughly grounded 
in retrieving indoors, to take him out where the 
vegetation is not too dense and there practice the 
pup at finding hidden wings and so forth. Indeed, 
should he not display a sufficient degree of eager- 
ness it will be well to scatter small bits of well boiled 
bullock's liver broadcast among the bushes, to en- 
courage him to quest about. 

A spaniel is apt to depend too much upon sight 
in retrieving, unless steps are taken l(# prevent it, 
and for this I think there cannot be anything better 
than to have the lessons take place frequently at 
night and in the dark Nothing can be simpler, and 




Cocker Spaniel Dog Champion " Hornell Silk," 
The property of Mr. J. Otis Fellows. 



68 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

it is undoubtedly most efficacious. I myself have 
spaniels that will find and retrieve a stranger's walk- 
ing-stick just as readily at night as by daylight, and 
that no matter how far it may have been cast. 

From the first, when throwing the ball for him to 
retrieve, wave your hand in its direction, and when 
he is to quest for a hidden thing, motion toward 
the place where it is hidden. Thus he will, in time, 
learn that he is to quest in the quarter indicated. 
In time a spaniel will begin to understand less marked 
signals, and a nod of the head either forward or to 
right or left will suffice to teach him in what direc- 
tion he is to go. 



CHAPTER VII. 

RETRIEVING FROM THE WATER. 

'TT^HE first lesson in retrieving from the water 
-*- should be given on a warm, sunshiny day. 
when the water is temperate and the spaniel will not 
become chilled. I once taught a spaniel to retrieve 
in the springtime, when the water was full of ice, 
and the dog had frequently to break his way through 
to get at the object thrown. He turned out the best 
retriever I have ever seen, yet I cannot recommend 
any one to do likewise, for had he not been a prac- 
ticed land retriever already and a very high-couraged 
animal besides, I am convinced he would have been 
ruined for good and all as a water retriever. 

The place selected should be one where the beach 
shelves very gradually, and on no account must 
there be deep holes near the shore, into which the 



7© The Spaniel and Its Training. 

beginner might stumble out of his depth and so ac- 
quire a horror of the element. 

Into the woolen sock we used at the outset some 
shavings of cork should be rolled to float it, and if a 
pair of duck wings are added it will be the better. 
This should first be thrown just at the water's edge, 
where the pup can reach it without wetting his feet. 
After he has retrieved a few times and commences 
to gain confidence in the new lesson, throw the ball 
a little further, obliging the pup to wet his feet. 
Accustom him to this and then throw further still, so 
that he has to go well out to retrieve. 

The greatest patience should be exercised in this, 
as undue haste may spoil all. Do not be in a hurry 
for him to swim out to retrieve, but for the first few 
days be content with letting him paddle about and 
get used to being in the water. On no account 
whatever throw the puppy in out of his depth, for 
most likely it will cause him to dread it in future, 
and an infinite amount of trouble may be entailed in 
overcoming his distaste for the element. He is 
young and does not know how to swim, beyond 
what nature teaches him. Just think of what your 
own feelings were as a child when some big boy 
thought it a huge joke to "chuck" you into water 
beyond your depth; and then apply them to the 



Retrieving front the Water. 71 

puppy with the reservation that while you knew 
that help was at hand and that you would not be 
allowed to drown, the pup does not. 

When by degrees you have induced your pupil to 
swim a little distance to retrieve the ball, your task 
is well-nigh accomplished, and time will do the rest. 
Bear in mind, always, that he must on no account 
be permitted to come ashore, leaving the ball in the 
water. 

Keep him at it for hours if necessary, and if he 
then fails to retrieve, fetch it yourself either by wad- 
ing, swimming, or by means of a boat. Whatever 
of persistency you may exhibit there will be im- 
pressed upon him and bear fruit in after years. 

You will have remembered to reward him both by 
praise and by more substantial evidences of your 
appreciation in the way of dainties for good be- 
havior. To teach diving, weight the worsted sock 
with shavings of lead and throw it first into water 
an inch deep. Do not be in too great a hurry, and 
for some time throw only into water of about one 
foot deep, where he will wet only his head in reach- 
ing for the ball. When he has become accustomed 
to this, increase the depth of the water into which 
you send him until he will at length dive entirely 
out of sight. 



72 The Spaniel and Its Trai>n'ng. 

While it is often useful to have with you a spaniel 
that will dive, as, for instance, when he is in chase 
of a wounded duck, it is inadvisable to let him do 
much of it, for diving is apt to bring on deafness 
and even to cause canker of the ear. 

In water retrieving as well as land work the spaniel 
must be made to work by signals of hand as well as 
by voice. Often when waves are running high you 
can see the position of the bird, while your dog, 
being so low in the water, cannot, and thus you are 
enabled to direct his movements. 

When one duck is dead and another wounded, the 
dog should be made to go after the latter first. He 
will, most probably, do this instinctively, but, if not, 
when you see him catch hold of the dead bird, say, 
"Dead!" and point toward the wounded one, say- 
ing, "Go fetch." Insist upon his retrieving it first, 
as the wounded one will probably give him some 
trouble to catch, thereby giving him a zest for the 
pursuit that he will afterward remember, and make 
for the bird likely to give him the greatest amount 
of fun when next an opportunity occurs. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

" HEEL." — " HIE ON." 

WHILE the retrieving lessons were in progress, 
you could have begun teaching your spaniel 
to "heel" and to ' hie on." 

When out walking with your pupil and he is run- 
ning on ahead, call, "Come here and heel!" and 
when he approaches in obedience to your order 
"Come here," push him behind you, saying, "Heel, 
heel," accompanying the order with a low, backward 
motion of the left hand. 

Make him stay behind you for some little time, 
and if he attempts to break away or lag behind, 
bring him to heel again, tapping him smartly with 
your cane in punishment, saying, at the same time, 
"Heel, heel." 

Then, w^hen he is running steadily at heel, say. 



74 TJic Spaniel and Its Trainin»;. 

suddenly, " Hie on !" waving the right hand forward 
and running a few steps to start him. 

Another good plan, one that can be commenced 
even earlier is, when the puppy runs forward to get 
at his food, to hold him back from it, saying, while 
doing so, " Heel, heel." After holding him so for a 
few seconds loose your hold and say " Hie on I" 

However it may be done, the lesson of heeling 
must be taught most thoroughly, for it is of the 
greatest importance that he should be obedient in 
this particular. 

A spaniel can also be taught to heel by means of 
a check-cord and choke-collar in much the same 
manner as his range is restricted, as explained later on. 




Cocker Spaniel Dog Chami-ton "Doc," 
The property of Mr. A. C, Wilmerding. 



CHAPTER IX. 

DROPPING TO HAND, COMMAND, SHOT AND WING. 

WHILE dropping to hand, command, shot or 
whig are refinements in spaniel training, 
and but Httle taught in this country for the reason 
that it takes rather too much time for the benefit 
to be derived from it, still a spaniel cannot be con- 
sidered thoroughly educated unless possessed of this 
accomplishment. 

In the days of muzzle-loaders, dropping to shot 
was a necessity; for if spaniels continued questing 
after the gun had been discharged, there was every 
chance of their springing game before it had been 
reloaded, and thus birds were lost that otherwise 
would certainly have been brought to bag. With 
the breech-loader, however, no time worth mention- 
ing is taken up in reloading, so if the shot has been 
unsuccessful, there is little danger of a bird's being 



Dropping to Hand, Command, Shot, Wing. 77 

flushed before you have had time to reload. Then, 
too, few of us are so fortunate as to have the shoot- 
ing of coverts where game birds are flushed, one 
after another, with httle intermission. 

Of course there is this to be said in favor of drop- 
ping spaniels, that it tends to keep them in check 
and prevents their running riot to a great extent, 
and with a team of spirited spaniels this is quite a 
consideration. 

It is not well to teach dropping to hand, etc., 
until the puppy is of an age to understand it well, 
say. eight months to one year old, or at almost any 
age up to two or three years. Therefore, there need 
be no especial hurry about beginning the lessons. 

Take your pupil to the room in which the lessons 
are usually given, and while he is standing beside 
you, say, sharply, "Drop," forcing him flat upon the 
ground where he stands. Force him to remain there 
by keeping your foot upon him, saying the while, 
"Drop, drop." After a few moments remove your 
foot and say, "Hie on," or "Up," to hmi, waving 
your right hand forward at the same time, and make 
him rise. 

When giving the verbal command you will simul- 
taneously have held the right arm erect above the 
shoulder, and on giving the order to "hie on," you 



7 8 The Spaniel and Its Training::;. 

will have lowered the arm at once. I say the right, 
because it can best be spared, for you can hold the 
gun to better advantage with the left hand. In time 
he will learn to associate the verbal command with 
the signal and so drop to it alone. 

When he will unfailingly drop to hand, take some 
fire-arm, a muzzle-loading horse-pistol is the most 
convenient, and after charging it* with but a few 
grains of powder, discharge it, at the same time or- 
dering him, both by voice and signal, to "drop." 
Continue this until he has begun to draw the con-- 
nection between the pistol shot and the other orders 
of which he already understands the meaning. 

Dropping to wing may be taught by giving the 
command to drop when the bird rises. This to be 
continued until the spaniel understands the connec- 
tion and has drawn the conclusion that naturally 
follows. 

In the reading this appears to be a most tedious 
business, but it is not really half so bad as it seems. 
I myself have taught a three-year-old spaniel to drop 
to hand in two short lessons; but then, of course, 
there are spaniels and spaniels, and all are not alike. 

A spaniel that is to be used for duck retrieving 
should not be allowed to drop to shot, nor indeed, 
be trained in this accomplishment. For instance, 



Dropping to Hand, Command, Shot, IPlng, 79 

you have wounded a duck, which falls some distance 
off into the water. How is the dog to see where it 
has fallen if he is crouching in the long grass or on 
the floor of the hide ? A good duck dog will himself 
watch every movement of a bird and know just 
where to go, no matter how far away it may fall. 
He will keep a constant lookout for birds, and when 
he sees them coming, will apprise you of the fact; 
thus, if you are indolently inclined, saving you the 
trouble of watching. Immediately at the shot, he 
will run out of the grass, should it be possible, to 
note its effect, and if there is no spot available he 
will stand on his hind-legs, jump, or in some way 
get a peep at the bird. 

A spaniel that you intend using both for upland 
and marsh shooting should not be taught to drop to 
shot, though it will be found useful to have him drop 
to voice and sign. 



CHAPTER X. 



GUNSHYNESS. 



MUCH has been written and said on the subject 
of gunshyness, some maintaining that a dog 
cannot be cured of it, while others deem the opposite 
to be the case. For my own part, I consider that in 
the majority of cases gunshyness is curable, though 
in many it is certainly not. I remember once shoot- 
ing over a six-months-old cocker bitch that promised 
splendidly, and showed not the least sign of gun- 
shyness, much the reverse, mdeed. Yet the next 
season at the first shot she ran off and hid herself, 
and it took men and dogs half an hour to find and 
recapture her. Strange to say, I was never able to 
cure her, and the shyness has run through to the 
third generation of her descendants. So one must 
not count too much on the behavior of a puppy. 
The methods for overcoming the fault are man}- 



Gunshyness. 8i 

and various. If a puppy has been accustomed to 
startling noises from the outset, 1 think the chances 
of his turning out gunshy are infinitesimal. The 
manner of doing this has already been described. 

An excellent plan is to take the shy one to a rifle 
range or trap-shooting ground when matches are in 
progress. When he sees that there is nothing to 
hurt him and has become accustomed to the mces- 
sant reports of firearms, he is very likely to get over 
his little failing. 

Another way that often succeeds is to let him go 
without food until he becomes more than ordinarily 
hungry, then, when you give him his food, and he 
rushes at the dish to appease his hunger, fire caps in 
a toy pistol over him. Should he run away in fear, 
remove the pan and let him starve an hour or two 
longer, when you may try him again. Keep on at 
this until he will eat his food regardless of the report. 

By no means permit his eating the food until he 
will let you fire over him as he devours it, and as he 
begins to gain confidence bring the old horse-pistol 
into use and keep augmenting the amount of powder 
in its load until he does not mind a report equal to 
that of an ordinary shot gun. 

Yet another way is to couple the shy spaniel to 
an old, steady and strong:; dog. Then, turning the 



82 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

two loose on land where there are no bushes in which 
they may get entangled, fire repeatedly over their 
heads. The confidence of the "old 'un," and the 
pleasure he shows in the business may overcome the 
gunshy dog's fear. It will be best to commence by 
firing a cap, then as he gets accustomed to the sound, 
increase the charge of powder. 

When breaking a spaniel of gunshyness one must 
be even more patient and painstaking than in the 
other lessons. Then, too, you must proceed cau- 
tiously, and be not impatient if for days there is no 
appreciable progress. Only by incessant application 
can gunshyness be overcome; and you may be on 
the very threshold of success when seemingly no ad- 
vance has been made. Therefore, one must per- 
severe and erase the word despair from his vocab- 
ulary. 




Cocker Spaniel Dog Champion "Brant, 
The property of Mr. C. M. Nelles. 



CHAPTER XL 

RANGING. 

WHILE some spaniels seem to take to their 
range at once, others again are very hard 
to keep within bounds and, needless to say, the I'ltter 
description must be brought to their senses as soon 
as it is possible. 

A spaniel's range must of necessity be much less 
in extent than the setter's or the pointer's, for he 
flushes the game, consequently, if the dog runs be- 
yond gun-shot, many birds are lost. Needless to 
say, therefore, he must be trained to range well 
within gun-shot. 

No matter how hot the scent may be, he must not 
press forward too far ahead of the gun, and in 
time a good spaniel will learn to watch his master, 
and know exactly the distance he should keep ahead. 
Much in this depends upon the intelligence of the 



dog, and it is well nigh time wasted to spend it in 
training a timid fool. A high-couraged and at first 
disobedient animal, that causes you much trouble at 
the outset, will probably make a good dog in the end. 

Do not mistake the dififidence a puppy may feel on 
his first entry at covert shooting for timidity. He 
may be the boldest of dogs when he is used to any- 
thing, but at first sight the thorny covert and dark- 
some woods that he has never seen before may over- 
awe him, until familiarity has had time to breed 
contempt. 

It is scarcely safe to form an opinion of a spaniel's 
hunting capabilities by merely having seen him about 
the house or at his master's heels in the street, for 
many animals that seem to be perfect "slouches" 
under such circumstances, when taken afield may 
prove regular demons in their anxiety to inquire 
into everything and rout out every crevice and corner 
they may come upon. Whereas, a heedless, harum- 
scarum spaniel in the street may not have the least 
atom of hunting sense in the field. 

A thoroughly good working spaniel is a dog not 
often seen. One may be good at retrieving, but not 
of much use at questing; another may mangle his 
birds; another funk water; but a dog that is good 
at an}^ work is indeed a rare one. 



86 TIic Spaniel atid Its Training. 

He must be a strong dog and moderately fast of 
foot, with a fair allowance of leg to carry him over 
any ground; be intelligent, obedient, but full of 
courage, dash and determination, with a dense coat 
to protect him from injury, plenty of bone and 
good, compact feet. We already know what he 
should do in the way of retrieving and so forth, but 
his range and "bird-sense" have not yet been de- 
fined. To begin with, he must not go further than 
thirty nor less than five yards away from you, must 
constantly watch you for directions and to see that 
he is in his place, also at the slightest sign from you 
to any direction, should quest in the quarter indi- 
cated. When trailing he must not go too fast, must 
spring the game at the proper distance, and no 
matter how great his excitement, should stop when 
the order " Steady " is given, and at the proper instant 
should know how to give the silent plunge that will 
send the "runner" scurrying into the air. And, 
though few dogs will do it, he should 7vork to t/iegim, 
that is, flank the birds and flush them between him- 
self and the sportsman. If you get hold of such a 
spaniel as this, my advice is stick to him; he is worth 
more than money to the lover of a good dog. 

Some sportsmen prefer a dog that gives tongue 
when on scent, though for my part it sets my teeth 



RangiJig. 87 

on edge and drives me nearly crazy. Then how can 
one expect birds to wait to be shot when they hear 
a yapping brute rampaging about? They are not 
utterly senseless, and know enough to be aware that 
the presence of a dog bodes danger to them; there- 
fore, as the men and dogs enter one side of the covrt 
they quietly "vamoose" at the other. Silent dogs 
and silent men few woodland birds fear, for how 
know they that it is not a deer walking by, or in less 
uncivilized parts a cow ? 

Should your spaniel be fairly amenable to discip- 
line when first taken afield, and you find that there 
is little more the trouble than that he is inclined to 
range too far ahead, a weighted collar will probably 
be sufficient to re.'^train him. This is easily made by 
quilting several pounds of shot, regulating the weight 
by the size of the dog, into a canvas strap to be 
fastened around his neck. It will be well to give 
him a good run before hieing him into covert at the 
first, to work off his superfluous steam. 

Rest him every now and then when he appears 
tired, for a weary spaniel will not work carefully and 
indeed will "slur" as much as he can to save him- 
self. A dog that has been permitted to hang about 
the house since the previous season, doing nothing 
but eat and sleep, cannot be expected, without prep- 



88 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

aration, to undergo a hard day's work in covert or 
marsh without tiring, therefore give your spaniels 
enough exercise to harden them up a bit and rid 
them of "kimber" before the season opens. 

There is no doubt that much time and trouble can 
be saved by working your pupil in company with an 
old, steady spaniel, for he will watch the old one and 
imitate his movements and tactics until in a short 
time he gains confidence enough to branch out for 
himself. But as many of my readers do not possess 
a ''pattern " dog, I must needs show them how to do 
without one in training their puppy. For my own 
part I now merely teach my young dogs to obey the 
whistle and come to heel; the rest they pick up by 
running with the old dogs. When first taken out 
they do nothing but follow their mentors in every 
turn without an idea of hunting themselves, but be- 
fore long they quest as eagerly as possible. How- 
ever, dogs that are worked alone without compan- 
ions will make far better workers than those trained 
in a team, for they have no others to do ]:)art of 
their work, but must do every bit of questing and 
retrieving themselves. Then, too, they get to know 
their master better, and from association become 
far more intelligent than they otherwise would be. 
Stdl, if you are able to get the use of a steady, well 



Ranging. 89 

trained dog to hunt your puppy with, by all means 
do so; but if there is any doubt about his steadiness, 
do without him, for if he ranges too far and chases 
once or twice, you will have all the more trouble in 
getting the puppy to steady down. 

At first you should carefully avoid going near 
places where there are known to be hares, for it is 
almost too crucial a test to give a young and un- 
trained spaniel the opportunity of chasing a hare at 
the outset. Nor should you upon any account shoot 
a cotton-tail over him until he has steadied down, 
and still more should you avoid firing at squirrels, 
blackbirds, larks and other ''trash" over him, for he 
will very naturally infer from your killing such 
creatures that he is to quest for and spring them. 

Most spaniels after having undergone a course of 
house training come to their range very easily, and 
it is best, therefore, to gauge their dispositions first 
by taking them to a nice, open covert, where you 
can see every movement of the dogs and they cannot 
steal a march on you without being called back. 
Hie the pup in and instinct will probably teach him 
what to do. 

If he does not quest about, but runs aimlessly 
around, leave him to himself for a bit to get accus- 
tomed to the strange surroundings. Should he still 



90 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

appear stupid, "drop" him, and then throw bits of 
boiled liver into different quarters of the covert and 
hie him on again. When he has found the first piece, 
direct him by motioning the hand where to go to 
find the next, and so on till all are found. Let him 
eat the meat at the first, to make him quest eagerly. 
Keep this up until he will range from side to side 
at command, and in time from force of habit he will 
range of his own accord. 

Should he range too far away, hide yourself care- 
fully and remain in concealment until he finds you 
without any assistance. At losing sight of you he 
will think he is lost, and the strangeness of the sur- 
roundings will be likely to frighten him so thoroughly 
that he will be wary of ranging too far again. It is 
best for a short time at first to allow him to range at 
will, to key him up to hunting pitch. 

If he is at all inclined to be weak-spirited, beware 
of checking him more than you can help, as over- 
much badgering might make him a "baulker." 

Do not allow your pupil to slash through a covert. 
Make him ////;//. Some dogs, from their superior 
noses, appear to be slighting their work, when as a 
matter of fact they can find birds at their faster gait 
as well as or better than the more painstaking ani- 
mals. Still be cautious about making your dog too 



92 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

careful, for what can be more temper-trying than a 
"potterer." Even a careless dog is to be preferred. 

You must learn to read by the actions of your 
spaniel whether he is merely questing without a 
scent, or has struck a cold trail; also when the birds 
are near and he is about to make his plunge. Noth- 
ing can be easier to do when you know your dog. 

When your pupil ranges too fast and far, call him 
to you and chide him, saying, "Bad dog; keep close, 
close now, close." Should he persist, call him in 
again and thrash him, saying while doing so, "Close, 
will you, close I" 

It is well, when he is drawing on a bird, to say at 
first, "Steady, steady," as it will steady him and 
prevent his losing command over himself when the 
bird flushes. You can have accustomed him to this 
command during the retrieving lessons, when he was 
drawing near the place where the ball was concealed. 

An obstinate case of wide ranging can best be 
overcome by your making use of a choke-collar and 
check-cord. The former may be of any pattern, and 
for the latter my fancy turns toward a strong cord 
of close texture, such as a "cod line." At any rate, 
it should be stiff, so that it will not be liable to get 
entangled in the undergrowth. 

Attach the cord to the collar, allowing about thirty 



Ranging. 93 

yards to trail, and turn your pupil into some field 
where the scrub is thin and widely scattered. Let 
me advise your ''whipping" the end of the cord 
instead of knotting it, as the knot might catch in 
the bushes. When he has run about twenty yards 
call sharply, "Close, close." If he pays no attention 
to the warning, repeat it, and if he still fails to re- 
spond, step on the end of the check-cord. When it 
brings him to a stop, perhaps casting him choking 
to the ground, hurry up and repeat the word several 
times before you unloosen the collar. It is safe to 
say that a few days of this discipline, with the 
weighted collar in addition, will train him to keep 
close. Only as a last resort, and after having tried 
all other ways of getting him under control and 
failed, would I resort to the choke-collar, as it is apt 
to break the spirit of a spaniel. 

He, without fail, will evince a desire to chase the 
birds he flushes; but at the first spring call sharply, 
"Ware chase, ware chase," and if he pursues his 
course, chastise him severely, and while doing so 
repeat the order over and over again, "Ware chase, 
will you; ware chase." If these milder measures fail, 
the check-cord must be resorted to and used in pre- 
cisely the same way as just described. 

Most spaniels dearly love to chase a hare; but all 



94 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

tendency toward this pursuit must be nipped in the 
bud, else you will never have comfort with your dog. 
To begin with, never permit his chasing cats, for 
from cats to rabbits is but a slight remove. If he 
springs a hare and starts on a chase after her, at 
once call sharply, ''Ware fur; ware fur," and call 
him in and rate him soundly, or, if he persists, thrash 
him severely. He must be broken of hare hunting 
at all hazards, and it may be necessary to use the 
choke-collar again. 

Enter your spaniel for water shooting on "flap- 
pers" in the early season, as it is a most fascinating 
pursuit for both dogs and men, and the warm water 
and plenitude of game will give the pup a taste of 
the sport which he will be anxious to repeat. 

Some men hold that shooting your dog with light 
shot fired at a distance sufficient only to stmg him 
and from behind, is the best way to cure a dog of 
wide ranging. I must say I don't think the plan a 
likely one to succeed, and outside of the inhumanity 
of the thing, I should think the most likely result 
would be to make the dog gunshy. Then suppose 
he were to turn his head just as the trigger was 
pulled ! He would be minus an eye to a certainty. 
By all means shoot birds and animals if you will, 
but reserve your ammunition for them, and do not 
"draw a bead" on your spaniel. 



CHAPTER XII. 



MISCELLANEOUS HINTS. 



MANY spaniels are inveterate manglers of game 
in retrieving, and it is well to put a stop 
to the practice if possible. There is on the market 
a patent arrangement for its prevention; but as it is 
necessary to adjust it on the bird for the contrivance 
to work, the dog has had time to get his work in 
on the bird before you can get hold of it. 1 think 
a good plan is to fasten a dozen needles of the 
proper length in the center of the long-suffering 
stocking, their points turned in all directions. Make 
him fetch this for a few weeks every day, and after 
he has found what the result of pinching it will be, 
he is likely to be more tender-mouthed in future. 

Some spaniels are perfect demons at fowl-killing, 
and aie most difficult to break of the habit. A 
friend of mine, who is an army officer, when sta- 



g6 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

tioned at Bermuda, had alternately to take one of 
the four roads available in going his rounds, as Jack, 
his spaniel, killed so many fowls each day that he 
was obliged to give the road traveled the day be- 
fore a wide berth until the trouble blew over. Un- 
doubtedly the best way out of this trouble is preven- 
tion. Bring him up in sight of fowls, and if a rabbit 
or two is added, why you are not likely to be 
troubled by his coursing "fur." 

When he has killed a hen, take it by the legs and 
beat him over the head with it until you are tired, 
then tie the body securely about his neck, leaving 
it so that it will bang up against his forelegs at every 
step. It is odds that after lugging the carrion about 
for a day or two, he will acquire a distaste for fowl, 
especially if you chide and laugh at him every time 
you see him. 

Egg stealing, also, is a common failing with many 
spaniels. The taste is generally acquired by their 
being allowed to lick out empty egg-shells and eat- 
ing tainted eggs thrown out for them. An effectual 
way of curing this is to fill an ^g^ with cayenne 
pepper and place it in his way. Yet another is to 
heat an egg till it is quite hot and hold it in the 
dog's mouth until he is well burned. 

Many young dogs and puppies have an annoying 



Miscellaneous Hints. 97 

habit of jumping upon you. This, when their paws 
are muddy, is unpleasant, to put it mildly. En- 
deavor to curb your impulse, which will be to cuff 
them over the head, for it will do no good. A high- 
spirited puppy thinks there is no better fun than 
dodging your blows, and jumps upon you all the 
more. Instead, take a paw in either hand, and 
speaking kindly all the while, step firmly on his hind- 
feet. He will soon begin to think that there isn't 
so much fun in jumping after all, and desist. 

It is well to accustom your puppy to the lead from 
the first, also to being chained up. Of course a 
growing pup should not be kept on chain, but he 
should be accustomed to it, in case you wish to se- 
cure him in the 'baggage-car, exhibit him at a bench 
show, or restrain him for a short time. 

Do not allow your spaniel to "scavenge" about 
the street. He can pick up nothing but filth there, 
and the street is where poison is generally picked up. 
Punish him without delay when he picks up any- 
thing, and if he swallows it before you can reach 
'him, beat the dog severely. 

Having described as minutely as patience will ad- 
mit the preliminary training of a young spaniel, we 
will now put him to the test on game in the field, and 
therefore cannot do better than pass a day together 



98 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

in a country that affords fairly good "mixed" shoot- 
ing — ruffed grouse, woodcock, snipe and an occa- 
sional duck. You may be. with me only in spirit, 
however, for as I have said all along, there must be 
no one to distract the dog's attention from the busi- 
ness in hand. 




Cocker Spaniel Doci Champion "Mike, 
The property of Mr. C. M. Nelles. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



A DAY AFIELD. 



AS the day dawns which ushers in the open 
season for grouse, duck and 'cock, accom- 
panied by my spaniel I board an outbound train. 

My companion is a well-growm puppy of one of 
the larger varieties, who, having gone through the 
course of preliminary instruction as described already, 
is now about to be initiated in the mysteries of 
woodland and water shooting. His nose during the 
course of instruction has proved to be above the 
ordinary in keenness of scent, and altogether he is 
a strong, muscular youngster, standing on common- 
sense legs, /. c, neither too short nor too long. Jack, 
as a rule, is fairly well under control; still from the 
outset an inclination to unruliness has exhibited it- 
self in him, and it is, consequently, necessary to 



A Day Afield. loi 

resort to severe measures on occasions to keep him 
under control. 

Besides some sandwiches and a flask my game-bag 
contains a stout whip, choke-collar, sundry bits of 
boiled liver and thirty yards of "cod-line." 

Arrived at the little *'way" station my puppy and 
I disembark, and after tliscussing with the station- 
agent the weather, past and present, the success or 
failure of the crops, and last, but not least, the game 
prospects, we climb the snake-fence and hie into the 
woods. 

It is early, very early, when we enter the timber, 
so there is a whole long, glorious September day be- 
fore us, and in the course of it, with any sort of luck, 
I will be able to get Jack into some sort of shape. 
Shooting will be held secondary to training in every 
instance, for there will be plenty of time for sport 
when the pupil's education shall have been com- 
pleted. 

The dog is now hied on, and for a few minutes 
allowed to range at will, even though he runs be- 
yond gunshot. This serves to set an edge upon his 
appetite for work, to key him up, as it were. But 
soon, while he is not in sight, I hide myself in an 
out-of-the-way nook and lie there motionless. 

In a little Jack is seen running about with a be- 



I02 TIw spaniel and lis Training. 

wildered air. Soon bewilderment alters to fear, and 
he searches for his master with frantic energy. 
Upon no account — well, on second thought, a wasp's 
nest niig/if — would I by word of mouth or sign dis- 
close ni}' whereabouts. The pup must search me 
out himself. Through fear of losing me again, or 
rather being lost himself, he will be wary of ranging 
too far in future. At length, to his delight. Jack 
finds my hiding-place, and almost devours me with 
manifestations of his delight. Besides patting him, 
I give the pup a piece of liver and then hie on again. 

When he recommences ranging over-far, I call, 
"Close, Jack, close!" He looks at me in astonish- 
ment, not knowing what the new word means, and I 
call out again, "Come here, Jack, and keep close!' 
When he comes in I say, "Close, boy, close, close !" 
He runs off again, when I call out again the same 
command, dropping him if he fails to obey. If he 
persists or misbehaves again, Master Jack gets a 
thrashing, and while belaboring him, I continue say- 
ing, "Close, will you, close!" 

But my pupil is not an obedient dog and these 
milder measures are of no avail; therefore the choke- 
collar must be resorted to and is consequently ad- 
justed. 

Immediately he runs riot, and the white cord trails 



A Day Afield. 103 

hither and thither on the ground. "Close, Jack," I 
call, but the dog pays no heed to my command. As 
the cord trails past I set my foot upon it and, as I 
see it tautening, call again. This he hears just be- 
fore being thrown half strangling on the ground. 
Two or three such demonstrations and Jack will 
have learned to know what the meaning of "close " is. 

This accomplished, we turn to woods that are a 
sure find for ruffed grouse. Soon the spaniel strikes 
a scent and becomes nearly crazy over the delight- 
ful perfume. To calm him I call out, "Close, Jack, 
and steady!" The first he now understands, and 
therefore infers from the two words being coupled, 
that "steady" means something to the same effect. 

He is inclined to be heedless and over eager, and 
pressing on quickly flushes a single grouse; but this 
being his first bird the fault is not a heinous one. 
I fire and drop the bird. It would not do to miss 
this shot as the dog would certainly be disappointed. 
I indicate the place where the bird has fallen, say- 
ing, "Hie and seek dead." The pup does not com- 
prehend me, so the order is repeated with, "Go 
fetch it," added. This he understands, and at once 
quests in the direction indicated. 

So»n he finds the bird; but never having seen 
such a thing before, perchance stands over it in 



I04 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

wonderment, not venturing even to touch the strange 
thing with his nose. Accordingly I go to him, and 
pointing to the grouse, say, "Fetch it," and return 
to where I stood when the shot was fired. Still he 
will not obey; therefore, I take up the bird, put it in 
his mouth and make him walk back beside me, car- 
rying the bird. Then I say, "Dead I" and make 
him give up. 

After praising and rewarding him with a i)iece of 
meat, I carry the grouse again to where it fell, and 
replacing it on the ground, return to my first posi- 
tion with the puppy. I then say, "Go fetch dead, 
Jack !" pointing where the bird lies and make him 
fetch it to me. Should he still refuse, I do as before. 

Of course, it may take days, even months, to ac- 
complish even the little I have described, but many 
dogs can be made to show good sport even on their 
first day afield. 

The first grouse bagged, the dog is sent on again, 
being directed to work from side to side by the 
motioning of the hand which he already under- 
stands. When necessary I attract his attention by a 
low, soft whistle. 

Soon the dog feathers again, but the recollection 
of the delights which followed his former discovery 
prove too much for his obedience and he loses his 



A Day Afield. 105 

head completely. This must be checked, so calling 
him to me I adjust the collar and cord and hie him 
on again. 

As he draws on the covey prudence is scattered to 
the four winds of heaven, and with a wild rush he 
flushes and then chases a low flying bird. " Steady," 
I call, "steady, Jack;" but he pays no heed to me. 
The cord dances by in the wake of the flying dog 
and with another call of "Ware chase. Jack," I step 
on the end. The pup is running fast, and when the 
end of his tether is reached, over he is jerked on to 
his back. While undoing the collar I repeat over 
and over again the order, " Ware chase." 

A few such tumbles and the odds are in favor of 
Master Jack's understanding what " ware chase " 
means. 

Luncheon disposed of, I decide to introduce the 
puppy to the woodcock, and as there is a covert 
near by that promises well I wend my way thither. 

Walking in the space between the main woods and 
the covert, I order the dog in, and soon striking 
some old scent, he does not require much urging to 
make him quest about. Shortly a 'cock is sprung 
before him, but bearing in mind what ensued upon 
his chase after grouse, he does not break away. 
The 'cock flies over the clearing; I shoot and kill, 



io6 TJie Spaniel and Its Training. 

and the bird is nicely retrieved by my little beauty. 
If he refuses to take it up, the partridge lesson must 
be re-enacted. 

So strong and enticing to the spaniel does the 
scent of the woodcock seem that it is a spiritless one 
indeed that does not quickly pick up the bird. 

An hour or two spent in covert and I think it best 
to vary the programme with a Httle duck and snipe 
shooting. So to the marsh we go. 

Arrived there I take up position about thirty yards 
from the water's edge, while Jack quarters between 
me and the water as instinct and my signals direct 
him. Soon a mud hen is flushed, which sorely tries 
the puppy's patience as it skims with trailed legs 
over the tops of the reeds, but a stern, "Steady!" 
recalls him to his senses. 

At length a snipe is flushed, and zig-zags out over 
the water. I fire. A miss ! Bang ! The left bar- 
rel does its work, and down topples the bird. 

" Go fetch dead, Jack !" I say, but Jack will none 
of it. He never fetched a bird from the water and 
doesn't mean to if he knows himself, so there is 
nothing for it but to try the effect of example where 
precept has failed. I wade through mud and water, 
forcing Jack to follow me. 

Soon it deepens and the dog is obliged to swim 



A Day Afield. 107 

beside me. When the snipe is reached I show it to 
him and make him take it to the land. Then I 
throw it out again to where it lay, and obUge him to 
bring it to bag. Neither time nor trouble do I stint 
in teaching him this lesson well. 

Jack has been trained to drop to hand and voice, 
though not as yet to shot, and soon the lesson proves 
its use. I descry a flock of ducks heading in my 
direction, and drawing the dog's attention by a low 
whistle, signal him to "drop." I then crouch down 
myself among some tall reeds. 

On the birds come, and -holding well ahead of the 
leader I fire and drop one to the first discharge, three 
to the second barrel. They fall in the open water, 
three of them, the other amid the reeds. This one 
I send the spaniel after first, and being now quite 
a proficient at retrieving he soon effects its capture 
and then secures the remainder. 

The shades of night are deepening now, so with 
a heavy bag and increased respect for one another, 
Jack and I trudge stationward, hoping, both of us, 
I know, that it will not be the last autumn day by 
many that we shall pass afield together. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



SPANIELS IN AMERICA. 



IT had been my intention to weave the infor- 
mation gathered by me from different sources 
into a connected chapter; but I have since deemed 
it best to reproduce the letters as written by Messrs. 
Willey, Wihnerding and Dr. Niven, whose names 
need no introduction to the kennel world at large, 
followed by my own remarks on Clumber and Sussex 
spaniels as applied to America. 

Mr. J. P. Willey, of Salmon P'alls, N. H., writes as 
follows: 

"You kaow what spaniels we had before the 
Spaniel Club was organized, and what spaniels we 
had then. You remember how a half-bred water 
spaniel was once placed first at New York, and what 
a kick McDougall raised. Then came the club and 
standard, and the McKoon fight came off about this 
time. 



spaniels in America. 109 

" Old Benedict was then in his prime, and had 
the owners of the light, weedy bitches bred to 
him and got some bone and coats they might have 
been improving what they had. You know what 
Fellows, Niven, Watson and Kirk had, and how none 
of them kept their stock, but sold as they got their 
price. Thus all their stock was lost as far as per- 
fecting the type and size of the spaniel went. 

" Pitcher and Cummings were then breeding here 
in New Hampshire. The former had the best of the 
Bestor stock, and Cummings, too, had a few dogs 
of the same strain. By the way, McKoon and his 
friends had this blood also. There was quite a 
rivalry between Cummings and Pitcher. The first 
named imported Brush 1 1., by champion Brush out 
of old champion Rhea, also Blackie II., by Easten's 
Beau out of Blackie. They were a good pair of 
blacks, the bitch much the better ; in fact, she was a 
grand cocker bitch in type, weighing about 25 lbs. 
Brush II. was a large dog of full 45 lbs. 

" After these came over, Pitcher imported the sire 
and dam of Blackie II., Beau and Blackie. Both 
were large size, Blackie much the better of the two, 
rather on the cocker order. Beau was a large, 
crooked-legged spaniel with a nice coat. From 
these Pitcher raised only a few litters; in fact, I 



no The Spaniel and Its Training. 

think he only raised two pups from Blackie. One 
of them is Darkie, which I bought of him and after- 
ward sold to Daly. Then when he left Salmon 
Falls I bought her back and let Mr. Allen have her. 
The other was a liver dog, and whatever became of 
him I don't know. 

"I visited Cummings and Pitcher while they had 
these dogs and they were at their best. About this 
time there was such an outcry for small spaniels and 
such a kick against mating to large dogs that Pitcher 
tried to buy old Obo of Farrow, but the best he 
could do was to get Chloe II. and have her bred to 
him, which he did. From that bitch come Obo II., 
Black Silk and a bitch called Black Gem that was 
shown at New York, won the Produce Stake there, 
then returned home only to die of distemper. She 
was a grand little bitch; in fact, the whole litter was 
good. Chloe was a descendant of P. Bullock's ken- 
nel and from his old champion Nellie, the dam of 
many winners. Some think all the credit for the 
production of Obo II. is due to his sire; but I really 
think much of his quality he owes to_ the dam and 
her side of the house. Chloe II. was a nice, small 
bitch, a winner in England and, as I have said, from a 
vinning strain; far more so, indeed, than C^bo was 
from; yet few have ever thought of giving Chloe II. 



spaniels in America. 1 1 1 

the credit that is only her due. It is a fact that the 
strain of Cummings' Brush II. and Blackieand Beau 
and Blackie, which goes back to her also, have given 
the best results in breeding of any cockers imported. 

" Niven imported Black Bess; she was by old 
Brush out of old champion Rhea. He also im- 
ported Lass o' Breda; but what good have they ever 
done for cocker breeders ? Bene Silk is the only 
good one from Niven's lot I have seen. There has 
been too much selling and not enough mating and 
selecting and remating, which is the only way to es- 
tablish a type. 

" Pitcher also had at his kennel when I was there, 
Feather, quite a winner in the liver and white class. 
I think she was quite the best of her color I have 
ever seen. She left quite a lot of her stock through 
the country, and some of her strain I often see at 
the Boston shows. Cherry Boy, winner of second, 
New York, and first, Boston, this year (1890), is 
from that same strain on one side and Obo on the 
other. Then there was Winslow's Success, a 50 lbs. 
dog with bad front legs, who never left any stock 
that has become prominent. Success was shown at 
Boston and won there. 

"Obo, Jr., was imported by Leavitt of Boston, 
who was a partner of Fellows' once. He was shown 



112 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

a bit when first brought out, but never amounted to 
anything as a show dog. He has been a good stock 
dog though, getting Black Pete and others. 

" As for me, I have always owned a spaniel of 
some sort since I can remember. I recollect poor 
old bob-tailed Major, and how every one that met 
me used to ask who drove my dog's tail in. He was 
really my favorite, and I shed many a tear when he 
died of old age. He was with me always, since my 
earliest recollections, and needless to say I shall 
never forget him. Only think of your first dog and 
pet ! Let us own ever so many and ever so good, 
the old one's memory still remains." 

It is but justice to Mr. Willey to mention that the 
foregoing letter was written when he was in the 
midst of the confusion incidental on the removal of 
his place of business to a new site. After promising 
me the matter I needed he wrote begging to be ex- 
cused, stating that under the circumstances he could 
not do the subject justice; but after considerable 
persuasion he most kindly consented to devote an 
hour to my benefit. I believed myself that *' half 
the loaf " in this instance would be better than "no 
bread," and feel certain my readers will appreciate 
Mr. Willey's letter. 

Dr. Niven tells me in a recent letter that " When 



spaniels in America. 113 

I took up spaniels in 1879 there were very few worth 
speaking about in the country. Brownie, owned in 
Toronto, was the best in the country. I gave her a 
prize at Detroit show, in 1879, I think it was. Be- 
fore that time Mr. Bestor of Hartford, Conn., had 
imported some liver and whites, with very rough 
coats, called Romeo, Juliet, and Snip. I think 
McKoon got all Bestor's kennel at that time and had 
things all his own way until I imported Black Bess 
in 1880. At the same time Watson got out Beatrice 
and I forget who imported Blackie. These were the 
first modern cockers in America as far as I know." 

" My first recollection of the black spaniels," says 
Mr. Wilmerding, " is of the importation of Benedict 
from Jacob's kennels at Newton Abbot, in 1880, by 
James Watson (who with Geo. D. Macdougall con- 
stituted the Lachine Kennel Club), and Beatrice, a 
nice little black on the small field spaniel order 
also Dash (afterward Moore's Dash, but not 
registered as such, simply DasJi) by A. H. Moore 
of Philadelphia. This dog was afterward owned 
by the Hornell Spaniel Club, and later by Mr. Albert 
E- Foster and myself. Benedict went to H. W. 
Huntington of greyhound fame, and later to my 
friend, Mr. Foster of New York city. The dog 
was killed by a train on the D. L. & W. about three 



114 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

years ago. He was rather too indiscriminately bred 
to small cocker bitches for the good of the breed, 
the rage for blacks seeming to possess people 
beyond all reason. As a sire he did fairly well, but 
would have done better had he been bred as a rule 
to larger bitches, although at the time of his advent 
into this country the types of the different breeds 
were not very marked, the leggy, shelly style seem- 
ing to predominate. 

"There is no doubt, however, that he did much to 
improve our stock over here, adding strength, sub- 
stance, etc. He was of about 38 lbs. weight, long, 
low, with a good fiat coat and field spaniel head 
and type throughout. He could win to-day. Dash 
(Moore's), Bob Jr. (Luckwell's) and others of lesser 
note, came into the field at different times endeavor- 
ing to wrest the laurels from the old dog; but it was 
to no purpose, as he scored with ease over them all, 
and kept piling up prizes as though he were always 
alone in his class. 

'• Of late years several importations have attracted 
much attention, the most noticeable being those of 
Mr. Oldham. His stock came, if not all, nearly all, 
from the Newton Abbot kennels in England. His 
Newton Abbot Jubilee, Newton Abbot Darkie, Glen- 
cairn and several others created considerable com- 



spaniels in America. 115 

motion among spaniel men and were more or less 
sought after by the owners of large bitches for their 
services. 

" A fairly good liver was brought out in 1886 by 
myself in Newton Abbot. He was by Ch. Black 
Prince out of Ch. Newton Abbot Lady. x\s a sire he 
had no chance to make his mark, as he was killed on 
the railway when about 2 years old, but during his 
short career he ran up a score of eleven prizes, 
winding up with a first at New York. 

" Another good liver (on the Sussex order) was 
Newton Abbot Skipper (imported by Oldham), now 
the property of W. T. Payne of New York. 

." I came near forgetting one of the best brood 
bitches of the lot, Ch. Newton Abbot Lady, im- 
ported about 1883 by G. AV. Leavitt, Jr. of Boston, 
and sold by him to A. Laidlaw and by him to me 
She was the dam among others (and she was a 
prolific breeder, breeding as she did three times a 
year) of Newton Abbot, Miss Bend Or, Ch. Miss 
Newton Obo, Lassie, etc., etc. 

" I see your letter asks for a list of the older 
breeders. James Watson, Dr. J. S. Niven, J. F. 
Kirk, J. P. Willey, G. W. Leavitt, Jr., J. Otis Fellows, 
M. P. McKoon, Geo. D. Macdougall and I suppose 
myself. I can think of no others at present, but 



ii6 TJie Spaniel and Its Training. 

these are among the oldest, dating back around 
1880 and beyond." 

To the best of my knowledge the first Clumber 
spaniels imported to America were those brought 
to Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Lieutenant Venables, of 
H. M.'s 97th Regiment when stationed there in 1844. 
His dogs were purchased in the first instance by him 
from Marwood Yeatman, Esq., the Stock House, 
Dorset, England, a very old and well established 
strain. Not long afterward a Mr. McCathie, of 
Windsor, N. S., imported some Clumbers, and after 
this quite a number were brought into the Lower 
Provinces of Canada by officers of the numerous 
garrisons. Montreal too had its quota, and fully 
twenty-five years ago Sir Joseph Hickson, General 
Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway, had a nice 
little kennel of them in Montreal. His strain has 
died out, however, and about four years ago I 
recollect sending one to him to take the place of his 
old favorites. 

Mr. Jonathan Thorne of Pennsylvania had several 
Clumbers away back in the seventies, the best one 
being Trimbush, a dog who did quite a lot of win- 
ning for him in the old dog days, and indeed a son 
of his. Duffer, "walked over" for first prize at New 
York in '88. Jesse Sherwood, who at one time lived 



Spatnels in America. 117 

in Ohio, did some winning at the early Western 
shows with three well bred ones that he imported. 
Dulce, the best of them, afterward drifted into the 
hands of Chief Stewart of the Hamilton (Can.) 
police force, in whose possession he died. A little 
later a gentleman in Baltimore, Md., whose name I 
cannot recall, got out some Clumbers, one or two 
from Clumber House itself. 

In 'ZTf, I think it was, Mr. James Watson of Phila- 
delphia, picked up off a lately arrived ship a dog, 
afterward called Bateman, that was shown a good 
deal and won several prizes, although far from being 
a good specimen. He was said to have come from 
Lord Bateman's kennels in England, and soon was 
sold to Mr. Marmaduke Richardson of New York 
city. This gentleman in '84 purchased a pair of six 
months old puppies in Otta'wa, Canada, who as 
Newcastle and Tyne left the Clumber classes to his 
mercy until the writer brought out Johnny and 
Drake in '87. 

About eight years ago Dr. F. C. Plunkett of 
Lowell, Mass., while shooting on the west coast of 
Ireland, picked up a dog and a bitch, who under the 
names of Jockey and Romp did considerable win- 
ning and left a heritage of curly coats to their 
descendants. 



1 1 8 The Spaniel and Its Ti ainiui^. 

In '79, an English sportsman brought over to Nova 
Scotia with him a Clumber bitch called Judy, whom 
on the eve of his departure he sold to Mr. Thomas 
J. Egan of Halifax. He won several good prizes 
with her and reared a number of litters by different 
dogs, the best known of her offspring being John 
Halifax Gentleman, and Jill. At about the same 
time Mr. Lindsay Russell, ex-Surveyor Genejal of 
Canada, purchased from Dr. Hines a thoroughly 
broken dog called Ben, who strained back directly 
to Clumber House. This dog was taken to Ottawa, 
and in '83 for the first time was bred to Captain 
Vieth's bitch Joan. Joan was out of a pair of dogs 
imported by Captain Todd of H. M. 87th Regi- 
ment, direct from the Duke of Newcastle's kennels 
at Clumber, and through having produced champions 
Johnny and Newcastle, Drake, Tyne, etc., is en- 
titled to the distinction of being called the best 
brood bitch America has yet produced. She was 
bred by the late Dr. Moren, of Halifax, N. S., to 
whose wife her parents were presented by Captain 
Todd, when leaving Canada, her sire and dam. 
Flash and Flirt, ending their days in the possession 
of Murray Dodd, Esq., M. P. for Sydney, N. S., or to 
be strictly accurate, the latter was my property at her 
death, having been given me by Mr. Dodd. 



Spaniels ill America. ttq 

Up till '87 no importations of note were made, 
but in that year Mr. H. B. D. Bruce, of Ottawa, 
Can., got over Lucy II., a very nice bitch, who came 
from the strains of Lords Manvers and Bateman. 
But it was not until last year — '89 — that prominent 
English Vi^inners were brought over to America. 
Mr. T. C. Bate, of Ottawa, set the ball rolling by 
purchasing champion Boss III., the winner of a 
large number of prizes on the other side, and later 
on was induced by the writer to give him for a 
mate Bromine, generally acknowledged to l)e one 
of the best Clumbers ever bred. Shortly afterward 
the writer added the celebrated English winner 
Snow to his kennel, and at about the same time Mr. 
A. L. Weston, of Denver, Colo., imported from the 
Duke of \\'estminster's kennels Lass o' Beauty, win- 
ner of first Birmingham, '87, owned by that gentle- 
man and the writer together. 

l"he first Sussex spaniels to mv knowledge im- 
ported were President and Lady and licaii, now the 
property of Mr. J. F. Kirk, of Toronto, C'an., who 
purchased them from the importer, Mr. E. H. Morris. 

'ITie writer got a good one a couple of years ago, 
but something miscarried and she never materialized. 
Last year Mr. Bructte, of Jefferson. "Wis., got out a 
pair of working Sussex from the Etchell kennel in 



i2o The Spaniel and Its Trainings;. 

Scotland, but they were never shown and have not 
been heard of since leavhig that gentleman's kennel. 
It would never do to leave this subject without 
noting several dogs Messrs. Wilmerding and Willey 
have in their hurried notes omitted to mention, such 
as that grand dog Baron. He is by Ch. Roysterer out 
of Yum-Yum II., and was imported by Mr. (}. W. 
Folsom, of Washington, D. C. Also Bridford 
Negress, a full sister of Ch. Newton Abbot Lady, 
who was imported by E. H. Morris, and the " New- 
ton Abbots" of Oldham and Willey, Darkie, Lord 
and Laddie. In cockers, champion Hornell Silk, a 
brother of Obo II., will always be remembered for 
his success in the stud. Miss Obo II., an Obo bitch 
out of Fern, bred by James Farrow and imported by 
Mr. Willey, has run up a long score to her credit. 
Mr. P. G. Keyes, a new addition to the ranks of 
spaniel lovers, did yeoman's service by his purchase 
last year of Bob Obo, a good winner in England, 
and sire of champion Jenny Obo, who was bred by 
Farrow. Bob is a son of the grand old champion 
Obo. Still more recently Mr. Keyes purchased from 
the same gentleman Rideau Floss, a very nice little 
bitch. He also brought over last year a pair of liver 
cockers, General Mite and Nellina, who won a few 
prizes at West of England shows. 



The Spaniel ami Its Training;. i 2 1 

I have endeavored to confine n^yself to mentioning 
importations of portent to American spanieldom, as 
neither space nor time will permit of my making- 
mention of prominent home bred dogs. 

CHAMPION SPANIELS OK RECORD. 

Bene Silk (4308). Ilornell Ruby 

Black Pete (4910). Hornell Silk. 

Black Prince (12,524). Johnny (5896). 

Brant (5856). Little Red Rover (5869). 

Compton Bandit (5859). Marion. 

Compton Brahmin (5863). Miss Obo II. (4916). 

T)oc(85ii). Newcastle (5897). 

Ilornell Dandy. Newton Abbot Darkie (S527). 

Hornell Dinah. Obo H. (4911). 

Hornell Jock. Shina (491 S). 



CHAPTER XV. 

Standards of English and American 
Spaniel Clubs. 



Adopted bv the American Spaniel Club. 

THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. 

The Head (value lo) is by no means long, with very little 
brow, but moderately wide. It is covered with curls, rather 
longer and more open than those of the body, nearly to the 
eyes, but not so as to be wigged like the poodle. 

The Face and Eves (value lo) are very peculiar. I'ace 
very long and quite bare of curl; the hair being short and 
smooth though not glossy; nose broad, and nostrils well devel- 
oped; teeth strong and level; eyes small and set almost Hush, 
without eyebrows. 

The Topknot (value lo) is a characteri :tic of the true breed, 
and is estimated accordingly. It should fa" between and over 
the eyes in a peaked form. 

The Ears (value lo) are long, the leather extending, when 
drawn forward, a little beyond the nose, and the curls with 
which they are clothed two or three inches beyond. The whole 
of the ears are thickly covered with curls, which gradually 
lengthen toward the tips. 

Chest and Shoulders (value 7^). — There is nothing re- 
markable about these points, which must, nevertheless; be of 
sufficient dimensions and muscularity. The chest is small com- 
pared with most breeds of similar substance. 



Standa!-ds. 



123 



The Back and Quarters (value -jyi) also have no pecu- 
liarity, but the stifles are almost always straight, giving an ap- 
pearance of legginess. 

Lecs and Feet (value 10). — The legs should be straight, 
and the feet large but strong, the toes are somewhat open, and 
covered with short crisp curls. In all dogs of this breed the 
legs are thickly clothed with short curls, slightly pendent be- 
hind and at the sides, and some have them all round, hanging 
in ringlets for some time before the annual shedding. No 
feather like that of the setter should be shown. The front of 
the hindlegs below the hocks is always bare. 

The Tail (value 10) is very thick at the root, where it is 
clothed with very short hair. Beyond the root, however, the 
hair is perfectly short, so as to look as if the tail had been 
clipped, which it sometimes fraudulently is at shows, but the 
natural bareness of the tail is a true characteristic of the breeed. 

The Coat (value 10) is composed of short curls of hair, not 
woolly, which betrays the poodle cross. A soft, flossy coat is 
objected to as indicative of an admixture with some of the land 
spaniels. 

The Color (value 10) must be a deep pure liver without 
white; but, as in other breeds, a white toe will occasionally 
appear with the best bred litter. 

The Symmetry (value 5) — of this dog is not very great. 

SCALE OF POINTS. 

Head 10 

Face and Eyes 10 

Topknot 10 

Ears 10 

Chest and Shoulders 7^ 

Back and Quarters 7^ 

Legs and Feet 10 

Tail ID 

Coat 10 

Color 10 

Symmetry 5 

Total 100 



124 The Spaniel and Its Trainhii^. 



THE CLUMBER SPANIEL. 

Gknekai. Aitearance AM) Size. — General appearance, a 
long, low, heavy-looking dog, of a very thoughtful expression 
betokening great intelligence. Should have the appearance of 
great power. Sedate in all movements, but not clumsy. Weight 
of dogs averaging between 55 and ()5lbs. ; bitches from 35 to 
5olbs. 

Head. — Head large and massive in all its dimensions; round 
above eyes, flat on the top, with a furrow running from between 
the eyes up the center. A marked stop and large occipital pro- 
tuberance. Jaw long, broad and deep. Lips of upper jaw 
overhung. Muzzle not square, but at the same time powerful 
looking. Nostrils large, open and flesh-colored, sometimes 
cherry-colored. 

Eyes. — Eyes large, soft, deep-set and showing haw. Hazel 
in color, not too pale, with dignified and intelligent expression. 

Ears. — Ears long and broad at the top, turned over on the 
front edge; vine-shaped; close to the head; set on low and 
feathered only on the front edge, and there but slightly. Hair 
short and silky, without slightest approach to wave or curl. 

Neck and .Shoulders. — Neck long, thick and powerful, free 
from dewlap, with a large rufT. .Shou'ders immensely strong 
and muscular, giving a heavy appearance in front. 

Body and Quarters. — Body very long and low, well ribbed 
up and long in the coupling. Chest of great depth and volume. 
Loin powerful and not too much arched. Back, long, broad 
and straight, free from droop or bow. Length an important 
characteristic; the nearer the dog is in length to being two and 
one-half times his height at shoulder the better.. (Quarters 
shapely and very muscular, neither drooping nor stilty. 

Legs and Feet. — Forelegs short, straight, and immensely 
heavy in bone. Well in at elbow. Hindlegs heavy in bone, 
but not as heavy as forelegs. No feather below hocks, but 



Standards. 



125 



thick hair on back of leg just fbove foot. Feet large, compact, 
and plentifully filled with hair between toes. 

Coat and Feather. — Coat silky and straight, not too long, 
extremely dense; feather long and abundant. 

Color and Markings. — Color, lemon and white and orange 
and white. Fewer markings on body the better. Perfection of 
marking, solid lemon or orange ears, evenly marked head and 
eyes, muzzle and legs ticked. 

Stern. — Stern set on a level and carried low, 

scale of points. 

General Appearance and Size 10 

Head 15 

Eyes 5 

Ears 10 

Neck and Shoulders 15 

Body and Quarters 20 

Legs and Feet 10 

Coat and Feather 10 

Color and Markings 5 

Total 100 



THE SUSSEX SPANIEL. 



The Skull (value 15) should be long and also wide, with a 
deep indentation in the middle, and a full stop, projecting well 
over the eyes; occiput full, but not pointed; the whole giving 
an appearance of heaviness without dullness. 

The Eyes (value 5) are full, soft, and languishing, but not 
watering so as to stain the coat. 

The Nose (value 10) should be long (3 in. to 3^ in.) and 
broad, the end liver-colored, with large open nostrils. 

The Ears (value 5) are moderately long and lobe-shaped 
— that is to say, narrow at the junction with the head, wider 



126 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

in the middle and rounded below, not pointed. They should 
be well clothed with soft wavy and silky hair, but not heavily 
loaded with it. 

The Neck (value 5) is rather short, strong and slightly 
arched, but not carrying the head much above the level of 
the back. There is no throatiness in the skin, but well-marked 
frill in the coat. 

Shoulders axd Chest (value lo). — The chest is round, 
especially behind the shoulders, and moderately deep, giving 
a good girth. It narrows at the shoulders, which are conse- 
quently oblique, though strong, with full points, long arms, and 
elbows well let down, and these last should not be turned out 
or in. 

Back and Back Ribs (value 10). — The back or loin is 
long, and should be very muscular both in width and depth. 
For this latter development, the back ribs must be very deep. 
The whole body is characterized as low, long, and strong. 

Legs and Feet (value 10). — Owing to the width of chest, 
the forelegs of the Sussex spaniel are often bowed; but it is 
a defect notwithstanding, though not a serious one. The 
arms and thighs must be bony as well as muscular; knees 
and hocks large, wide, and strong; pasterns very short and 
bony; feet round, and toes well arched and clothed thickly 
with hair. The forelegs should be well feathered all down, 
and the hind ones also, above the hocks, but should not have 
much hair below this point. 

The Tail (value 10) is generally cropped, and should be 
thickly clothed with hair, but not with long feather. The 
true spaniel's low carriage of the tail at work is well marked 
in this breed. 

The Color (value 10) of the Sussex is a well-marked but 
not exactly rich golden liver, on which there is often a washed- 
out look that detracts from its richness. The color is often met 
with in other breeds, however, and is no certain sign of purity 
in the Sussex spaniel. 



Standards. 127 

The Coat (value 5) is wavy without any curl; abundant, 
silky and soft. 

The Symmetry (value 5) of the Sussex spaniel is not very 
marked; but he should not be devoid of this quality. 

SC.VLK (IK I'OINTS. 

Skull 15 

Eyes 5 

Nose 10 

Ears 5 

Neck 5 

Shoulders and Chest 10 

Back and Back Ribs 10 

Legs and Feet 10 

Tail 10 

Color 10 

Coat 5 

Symmetry 5 

Total 100 



THE MODERN SPRINGER OR FIELD SPANIEL. 

General Appearance. — Considerably larger, heavier and 
stronger in build than the cocker ; the modern springer 
is more active and animated than the Clumber, and has little 
of the sober sedateness characteristic of the latter. He should 
exhibit courage and determination in his carriage and action, 
as well as liveliness of temperament, though not in this respect 
to the same restless degree generally possessed by the 
cocker. His conformation should be long and low, more so 
than the cocker. 

Intelligence, obedience, and good nature should be strongly 
evident. The colors most preferred are solid black or liver, but 



128 The Spaniel and lis Training. 

liver and white, blacl; and white, blaclc and tan, orange, and 
orange and white are all legitimate spaniel colors. 

Head (value 15) long and not too wide, elegant and shapely, 
and carried gracefully; skull showing clearly cut brows, but 
without a very pronounced stop; occiput distinct and rising 
considerably above the set-on of the ears; muzzle long with 
well developed nose, not too thick immediatly in front of the 
eye and maintaining nearly the same breadth to the point; 'uf- 
ficient flew to give a certain squareness to the muzzle and avoid 
snipiness or wedginess of face; teeth sound and regular; eyes 
intelligent in expression and dark, not showing the haw, nor so 
large as to be prominent or goggle-eyed. 

Ears (value 10) should be long and hung low on the skull, 
lobe-shaped and covered with straight or slightly wavy silky 
feather. 

Neck (value 5) long, graceful, and free from throatiness, 
tapering toward the head, not too thick but strongly set into 
shoulders and brisket. 

Shoulders and Arms (value 10). — The shoulder-blades 
should lie obliquely and with sufficient looseness of attach- 
ment to give freedom to the forearms, which should be well let 
down. 

Legs and Feet (value 15). — The forelegs should be straight, 
very strong and short; hindlegs should be well bent at the stifle- 
joint, with plenty of muscular power. Feet should be of good 
size with thick, well developed pads, not flat or spreading. 

Body and Quarters (value 20) long with well sprung ribs, 
strong, slightly arching loins, well coupled to the quarters, 
which may droop slightly toward the stern. 

Coat and Feather (value 15). — The coat should be as 
straight and flat as possible, silky in texture, of sufficient dense- 
ness to afford good protection to the skin in thorny coverts, and 
moderately long. The feather should be long and ample, 
straight or very slightly wavy, heavily fringing the ears, back of 
forelegs, between the toes, and on back quarters. 



Standards. 129 



Tail (value 10) should be strong and carried not higher than 
the level of the back. 

SCALE OF POINTS. 

Head 15 

Ears 10 

Neck 5 

Shoulders and Arms 10 

Legs and Feet 15 

Body and Quarters 20 

Coat and Feather 15 

Tail 10 

Total 100 



THE COCKER SPANIEL. 

A cocker spaniel must not weigh more than 28 lbs. nor less 
than 18 lbs. 

General Appearance, Symmetry, etc. (value 10). — A 
cocker spaniel should be eminently a well-built, graceful and 
active dog, and should show strength without heaviness or clum- 
siness. Any of the spaniel colors are allowable, but beauty of 
color and marking must be taken into consideration. 

Head (value 15) should be of fair length, muzzle cut off 
square, tapering gradually from the eye, but not snipy. Skull 
rising in a graceful curve from the stop, and with the same out- 
line at the occiput, the curve line being flatter but still curving 
at the middle of the skull. The head should be narrowest at the 
eyes and broadest at the set-on of ears, and viewed from the 
front, the outline between the ears should be a nearly perfect 
segment of a circle. The stop is marked and a groove runs up 
the skull, gradually becoming less apparent, till lost about half 
way to the occiput. This prevents the domed King Charles' 
skull, and there should not be the heaviness of the large field 
spaniel, but a light, graceful, well-balanced head. Jaws level, 
neither undershot nor pig-jawed, teeth strong and regular. 

Eyes (value 5) round and moderately full. They should cor- 
respond in color with the coat. 



130 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

Ears (value 10) lobular, set on low, leather fine and not ex- 
tending beyond the nose, well clothed with long, silky hair, 
which must be straight or wavy — no positive curls or ringlets. 

Neck and Shoulders (value 10). — Neck should be suffi- 
ciently long to allow the nose to reach the ground easily; mus- 
cular, and running into well-shaped, sloping shoulders. 

Body (value 15). — Ribs should be well sprung; chest of fair 
width and depth; body well ribbed back, short in the coupling, 
flank free from any tucked-up appearance, loin strong. 

Length (value 5), from tip of nose to root of tail, should be 
about twice the height at shoulder, rather more than less. 

Legs AND Feet (value 15). — The forelegs should be short, 
strong in bone and muscle; straight, neither bent in nor out at 
elbow; pasterns straight, short and strong; elbows well let 
down; the hindlegs should be strong, with well-bent stifles; 
hocks straight, looked at from behind, and near the ground. 
Feet should be of good size, round, turning neither in nor out, 
toes not too spreading; the soles should be furnished with hard, 
horny pads, and there should be plenty of hair between the toes. 

Coat (value 10) should be abundant, soft and silky, straight 
or wavy, but without curl; chest, legs and tail well feathered. 
There should be no topknot or curly hair on top of head. 

Tail (value 5) usually docked, carried nearly level with the 
back. At work it is carried lower, with a quick, nervous 
action which is characteristic of the breed. 

scale of points. 

General Appearance .10 

Head 15 

Eyes 5 

Ears 10 

Neck and Shoulders 10 

Body 15 , 

Length 5 ' 

Legs and Feet 15 ! 

Coat 10 \ 

Tail 5 

Total 100 



V Standards. 131 

Standards Adopted by the English 
Spaniel Club. 

the english water spaniel. 

POSITIVE POINTS. 

Head and Jaw and Eyes. ...20 Feet 5 

Ears 5 Stern 10 

Neck 5 Coat 15 

Body 10 General Appearance 10 

Forelegs 10 

Hindlegs 10 Total Positive Points. . . . 100 

Negative Points. — Feather on stern, 10; topknot, 10 — 
total negative points, 20. 

descriptive particulars. 

Head. — Long, somewhat straight and rather narrow; muz- 
zle rather long, and, if anything, rather pointed. 

Eyes. — Small for the size of the dog. 

Ears. — Set in forward, and thickly clothed with hair inside 
and out. 

Neck. — Straight. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Ribs round, the back 
ones not very deep. 

Nose. — Large. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Shoulders low and chest rather 
narrow, but deep. 

Back and Loin. — Strong, but not clumsy. 

Hindquarters. — Long and straight; rather rising toward 
the stern then drooping, which, combined with the low shoulder, 
gives him the appearance of standing higher behind than in 
front. 

Stern. — Docked from 7 in to 10 in. according to the size of 
the dog, carried a little above the level of the back, but by no 
means high. 

Feet and Legs. — Feet well spread, large and strong; well 



132 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

clothed with hair, especially between the pads. Legs long and 
strong; the stifles well bent. 

Coat. — Covered either with crisp curls or with ringlets; no 
topknot, but the close curl should cease on the top of the 
head, leaving the face perfectly smooth and lean looking. 

Color. — Black and white, liver and white, or self-colored 
black or liver. The pied for choice. 

General Appearance. — Sober looking, with rather a slouch- 
'•ig gait and a general independence of manner, which is 
thrown aside at the sight of a gun. 



THE IRISH WATER SPANIEL. 

POSITIVE POINTS. NEGATIVE POINTS. 

Head and Jaw 10 Light Yellow, or Gooseberry 

Eyes 5 Eyes 10 

Topknot 5 Cording, or Tags of Dead or 

Ears TO Matted Hair 12 

Neck 71^ Moustache or Poodle Hair 

Body • 7^ on Cheek 5 

Forelegs 5 Lank, Open, or Woolly Coat 7 

Hindlegs 5 A Natural Sandy, Light Coat 8 

Feet 5 Furnishing of Tail more than 

Stern 10 half-way down to Sting. . . 7 

Coat 15 Setter-feathering on Legs. . . 10 

General Appearance 15 White Patch on Chest 6 

Total Positive Points. . 100 Total Negative Points. . . .65 

Disqualifications. — Total absence of topknot. A fully- 
feathered tail. Any white patch on any part of dog, except a 
small one on chest or toe. 

DESCRIPTIVE particulars. 

Head. — Capacious skull, rather raised in dome and fairly 
wide, showing large brain capacity. The dome appears higher 
than it really is, from its being surmounted by the crest or top- 



Standards. 133 

knot, which should grow down to a point between the eyes, leav- 
ing the temple smooth. 

Eyes. — Dark brown and highly intelligent, or rich amber — 
the former preferred. 

Nose. — Dark liver-colored, rather large, and well developed. 

Ears. — Set on rather low. In a full-sized specimen, the 
leather should be not less than 18 in., and with feather about 
24 in. The feather on the ear should be long, abundant and 
wavy. 

Neck. — Should be "pointer-like," /. e., muscular, slightly 
arched, and not too long. It should be strongly set on the 
shoulders. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Height at shoulder 
from 20 to 23 in., according to se.x and strain; body, fair-sized, 
round, barrel-shaped, well ribbed up. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Chest deep, and not too narrow. 
Shoulders strong, rather sloping, and well covered with hard 
muscle. 

Back and Loin. — Back strong, loins trifle arched and power- 
ful, so as to fit them for the heavy work of beating through 
sedgy, muddy sides of rivers. 

Hindquarters. — Round and muscular, and slightly drooping 
toward the set-on of the stern. 

Stern. — A "whip tail," thick at base and tapering to a 
"sting." The hair on it should be short, straight, and close 
lying, except for a few inches from its root, where it gradually 
merges into the body coa't in some short curls. 

Feet and Legs. — ^^Forelegs straight, well-boned. They 
should be well furnished with wavy hair all round and down to 
the feet, which should be large and round., Hindlegs stifle 
long; hock set low; they should be well furnished, except from 
the hock down the front. 

Coat. — Neither woolly nor lank, but should consist of short 
crisp curls right up to the stern. Topknot should fall well over 
the eyes. It and furnishing of ears should be abundant and 
wavy. 



134 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

Color. — Dark rich liver or puce (to be judged by its original 
color). A sandy light coat is a defect. Total absence of white 
desirable, any, except a little on chest or a toe, should disqualify. 

General Appearance. — That of a strong, compact, dashing- 
looking dog, with a quaint and very intelligent aspect. They 
should not be leggy, as power and endurance are required of 
them in their work. Noisy and joyous when out for a spree, 
but mute on game. 



THE CLUMBER SPANIEL. 

POSITIVE POINTS. 

Head and Jaw 25 Feet 5 

Eyes 5 Stern o 

Ears 5 Coat and Feather 10 

Neck 5 General Appearance 15 

Body 20 

Forelegs 5 Total Positive Points. . .100 

Hindlegs 5 

Negative Points. — Light nose, 10; curled ears, ro; curled 
coat, 20 — total negative points, 40. 

descriptive particulars. 

Head. — Large, square and massive, flat on top, ending in 
a peak at occiput, round above eyes, with a deep stop; muzzle 
heavy and freckled, lips of upper jaw slightly overhung; skin 
under eyes dropping and showing haw. 

Eyes. — Dark brown, slightly sunk and showing haw. 

Ears. — Large and well covered with straight hair and hang- 
ing slightly forward, the feather not to extend below the 
leather. 

Neck. — Very thick and powerful, and well feathered un- 
derneath. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Very long and 
heavy, and near the ground. Weight of dogs, 55 lbs. to 65 lbs.; 
bitches, 45 lbs. to 55 lbs. 



Standards. 135 

Nose. — Square and flesh-colored. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Wide and deep — shoulders strong 
and muscular. 

Back and Loin. — Back straight, broad and long; loin pow- 
erful and well let down. 

Hindquarters. — Very powerful, with thighs placed well at 
back of body. 

Stern. — Set very low (while retaining the more important 
point of a straight back), well feathered and carried about 
level with the backbone. 

Feet and Legs. — Feet large and round, well covered with 
hair; legs short, thick and strong; hocks low. 

Coat. — Long, plentiful, soft and straight. 

Color. — Plain white with lemon markings; orange permis- 
sible, but not so desirable; slight head markings, with white 
body preferred. 

General Appearance. — Should be that of a very long, low, 
heavy, massive dog, with a thoughful expression. 



THE SU.SSEX SPANIEL. 

POSITIVE POINTS. negative POINTS. 

Head and Jaw 15 Light Eyes 5 

Eyes 5 Narrow Head 10 

Ears 5 Weak Muzzle 10 

Neck 5 Curled Ears or High Set on. 5 

Body 15 Curled Coat 15 

Forelegs 10 Carriage of Stern 5 

Hindlegs 10 Topknot 10 

Feet 5 White on Chest 10 

Stern 5 Color (too Light or too Dark) 10 

Coat and Feather 10 Legginess or Light of Bone. 5 

General Appearance 15 Shortness of Body or Flat- 

sided 5 

Total Positive Points. . . . 100 General Appearance, Sour or 

Crouching 10 

Total Negative Points. ..100 



136 The Spaniel and Its Training. 



DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 

Head. — Should be moderately long and massive, with depth 
in proportion, to obviate a flat appearance; skull broad and 
forehead prominent. 

Eyes. — Hazel color, fairly large and languishing, not show- 
ing the haw overmuch. 

Ears. — Thick, fairly large and lobe-shaped; set moderately 
low, but relatively not so low as in black or other varieties of 
spaniels; carried close to the head, and furnished with wavy hair. 

Neck. — Muscular and slightly arched. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Long, with well-sprung 
ribs, and a fair depth behind the shoulders. 

Nose. — Liver color; muzzle large and square, with lips 
somewhat pendulous and nostrils well developed. 

Shoulders and Chest. — The shoulders should be oblique, 
and the chest deep and wide. 

Back and Loin. — Back level and long, and loin broad. 

Hindquarters. — Strong, thighs muscular and hocks low 
down. 

Stern. — Docked from sin. to Sin., set low, and not carried 
above the level of the back. 

Feet and Legs. — Legs short and strong, with immense bone 
and a slight bend in the forearm. Feet large and round, and 
moderately well feathered, with short hair between the toes. 

Coat. — Bodycoat abundant, flat or slightly waved, with no 
tendency to curl, moderately well feathered on legs and stern, 
but clean below the hocks. 

Color. — Dark golden liver, not a light ginger or snuff color, 
but rather of a rich bronze tinge, not puce; the color will vary 
and go darker when the dog is kept out of Sussex, especially in 
those parts where the climate and soil differ materially from 
that of Sussex. 

General Appearance. — Rather massive and muscular, but 
with free movements and nice tail action, denoting a tractable 
and cheerful disposition — weight from 3 5 lbs. to 45 lbs. 



Standards. 137 



THE BLACK FIELD SPANIEL. 

POSITIVE POINTS. NEGATIVE POINTS. 

Head and Jaw 15 Light Eyes 10 

Eyes 5 Light Nose (fatal) 25 

Ears 5 Curled Ears 10 

Neck 5 Curled Coat 10 

Body 10 Carriage of Stern 10 

Forelegs 10 Topknot (fatal) 25 

Hindlegs 10 White on Chest 10 

Feet TO 

Stern 10 Total Negative Points. ..100 

Coat and Feather 10 

General Appearance 10 

Total Positive Points. . . . 100 

DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 

Head. — Should be quite characteristic of this grand sport- 
ing dog, as is that of the bloodhound or bulldog, its very stamp 
and countenance should at once convey the conviction of high 
breeding, character and nobility. Skull well developed, with a 
distinctly elevated occipital tuberosity, which, above all, gives 
the character alluded to; not too wide across muzzle, long and 
lean, never snipy nor squarely cut, and in profile curving 
gradually from nose to throat; lean beneath eyes, a thickness 
here gives coarseness to the whole head. The great length of 
muzzle gives surface for the free development of the olfactory 
nerve, and thus secures the highest possible scenting powers. 

Eves. — Not too full, but not small, receding or overhung; 
color, hazel or brown; grave in expression, and bespeaking un- 
usual docility and instinct. 

Ears. — Set low down as possible, which greatly adds to the 
refinement and beauty of the whole head; moderately long and 
wide, and sufficiently clad with nice setter-like feather. If the 
ear be well set on, it need not be very long in feather, which is a 
practical disadvantage. 

Neck. — Very strong and muscular, so as to enable the dog to 



13^ The Sfafiiel and Its Training. 

retrieve his game without undue fatigue; not too short, how- 
ever. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Long and very low, 
well ribbed up to a good strong loin, straight or slightly arched, 
never slack; weight from 30 lbs. to 40 lbs. 

Nose. — Well developed, and with good open nostrils, thor- 
oughly well developed, and always black in color. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Former sloping and free — latter 
deep and well developed; but not too round and wide. 

Back and Loin. — Very strong and muscular, and slightly 
arched; long in proportion to the height of the dog. 

Hindquarters. — Very powerful and muscular, wide and 
fully developed. 

Stern. — Well set on and carried low, if possible below the 
level of the back, in a perfectly straight line, or with a slight 
downward inclination; never elevated above the back, and in 
action always kept low; nicely fringed, with wavy feather of 
silky texture. 

Feet and Legs. — Feet not too small and well protected 
between the toes with soft feather; good strong pads. Legs 
straight and immensely boned, strong and short, and nicely 
feathered, with a flat or waved setter-like feather — feathering 
below hocks objectionable. 

Coat. — Flat or slightly waved, and never curled — sufficiently 
dense to resist the weather, and not too short — silky in texture, 
glossy and refined in nature, with neither duffleness on the one 
hand, nor curl or wireness on the other; on chest, under belly, 
and behind the legs there should be abundant feather, but never 
too much, and that of the right sort, namely setter-like. The 
tail and hindquarters should be similarly adorned. 

Color. — Jet black throughout, glossy and true. A little 
white on chest, though a drawback, not a disqualification. 

General Appearance. — That of a sporting dog, capable 
of learning and doing anything possible for his inches and con- 
formation. A grand combination of beauty and utility. 



Standards. 139 

ANY OTHER VARIETY OF FIELD SPANIEL. 

Positive Points — Similar to those given in black variety. 

Negative Points. — Subject to color. Similar to those given 
in black variety. 

descriptive particulars. 

Head. — Similar to that of the black spaniel, save in color. 

Eyes. — The color in all cases to match the coat and mark- 
ings, viz.: Black and tans, hazel or brown; liver and tans, 
rather lighter than in black and tans, but of good rich tone; 
livers, light hazel color; black, tan and white roans, etc., 
somewhat similar to black and tans; liver and tan roans, etc., 
somewht similar to liver and tans. 

Ears. — Similar to those of the black spaniel, except in color. 

Neck. — Similar to that of the black spaniel. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Similar to that of 
the black spaniel. 

Nose. — Variable, according to color of coat and markings: 
Black and tans, black; liver and tans, dark liver color; livers, 
liver; black and tan and white roans, black; liver and tan 
roans, liver. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Similar to those of the black 
spaniel. 

Back and Loin. — Similar to those of the black spaniel. 

Hindquarters. — Similar to those of the black spaniel. 

Stern. — Similar to that of the black spaniel. 

Feet and Legs. — Similar to those of the black spaniel. 

Coat. — Similar in quality, substance and texture and in 
all other respects, except color; responding to that given for 
black spaniels. 

Colors. — Various, such as black and tan, liver and tan, 
liver; black, tan and white roans; liver, tan and white 
roans, etc. 

General Appearance. — Similar in all respects, except in 
regard to color and markings; identical with the general 
description given before for black spaniels. 



I40 The Spaniel and Its Training. 



THE NORFOLK SPANIEL. 



POSITIVE POINTS. 



Head, Jaw and Eyes 20 Feet 5 

Ears 10 Stern 5 

Neck 10 Coat and Feather 10 

Body 10 General Appearance 10 

Forelegs 10 

Hindlegs 10 Total Positive Points. . . . 100 

Negative Points. — Carriage of stern, 5; topknot, 5; total 
negative points, 10. 

DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 

Head. — .Skull long and rather narrow; a stop; the muzzle 
long and broad at the end. 

Eyes. — Rather small, bright and intelligent. 

Ears. — Long, low set and lobular. 

Neck. — Long, strong, slightly arched. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Fairly heavy body; 
legs rather longer than in other field spaniels, but not so long 
as in Irish. Medium size. 

Nose. — Large and soft. 

Shoulders a.nd Chest. — Shoulders long and sloping; chest 
deep and fairly broad. 

Back and Loin. — Back flat and strong; loin rather long, 
flat and strong. 

Hindquarters. — Long; hocks well let down; stifles moder- 
ately bent, and not twisted inward nor outward. 

Stern. — Docked; low carried, i. c, not above the level of 
the back. 

Feet and Legs. — Strong boned legs, inclining to short- 
ness; feet large and rather flat. 

Coat. — Hard, not woolly; not curly, but may be broken. 

Color. — Liver and white, and black and white. 

General Appearance. — An active, useful, medium sized 
dog. 



Standards. 141 



THE BLACK COCKER SPANIEL. 

POSITIVE POINTS. NEGATIVE POINTS, 

Head and Jaw 10 Light Eyes (undesirable but 

Eyes 5 not fatal) 10 

Ears 5 Light Nose (fatal) 15 

Neck 5 Curled Ears (very undesira- 

Body 15 ble) 15 

Forelegs 10 Curled Coat (curly, woolly or 

Hindlegs 10 wiry) 20 

Feet 10 Carriage of Stern (crooked or 

Stern 10 twisted) 20 

Coat and Feather 10 Topknot (fatal) 20 

General Appearance 10 

Total Negative Point. . . . 100 

Total Positive Points. . . .100 

DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 

Head. — Not so heavy in proportion and not so high in occi- 
put as in the modern field spaniel, with a nicely developed 
muzzle or jaw; lean, but not snipy, and yet not so square as in 
the Clumber or Sussex varieties, but always exhibiting a suffi- 
ciently wide and well-developed nose. Forehead perfectly 
smooth, rising without a too decided stop from muzzle into a 
comparatively wide and rounded well-developed skull, with 
plenty of room for brain power. 

Eyes. — Full, but not prominent, hazel or brown colored, with 
a general expression of intelligence and gentleness, though de- 
cidedly wide awake, bright and merry, never goggled nor weak, 
as in the King Charles and Blenheim kinds. 

Ears. — Only moderately long, and rather broader than in the 
large field spaniels, for when too long they are practically a 
hindrance in dense coverts; and also set rather higher than in 
the before-mentioned variety, nicely protected with a sufficiency 
of wavy feather (never curled); indeed this merry and most use- 
ful old-world sporting dog should carry only a truly sporting 
ear. 

Neck. — Strong and muscular, and neatly set on to fine slop- 
ing shoulders. 



142 The Spaniel and Its Training. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Not quite so long and 
low as in the other breeds of spaniels, more compact and firmly 
knit together, giving the impression of a concentration of power 
and untiring activity; the total weight should not exceed 25 lbs. 

Nose. — Sufficiently wide and well developed to insure the 
exquisite scenting powers of this breed. Color black. 

Shoulders and Chest. — The former sloping and fine, chest 
deep and well developed, but not too wide and round to inter- 
fere with the free action of the forelegs. 

Back and Loin. — Immensely strong and compact in propor- 
tion to the size and weight of the dog; slightly drooping toward 
the tail. 

Hindquarters. — Wide, well rounded and very muscular so 
as to insure untiring action and propelling power under the 
most trying circumstances of a long day, bad weather, rough 
ground and dense covert. 

Stern. — That most characteristic stamp of blue blood in all 
the spaniel family may, in the lighter and more active cocker, 
although set low down, be allowed a slightly higher carriage 
than in the other breeds, but never cocked up over, but rather 
in a line with the back, though the lower its carriage and action 
the better, and when at work its action should be incessant in 
this, the brightest and merriest of the whole spaniel family. 

Feet and Legs. — The legs must be well boned, feathered 
and straight, for the tremendous exertions expected from this 
grand little sporting dog, and should be sufficiently short for 
concentrated power, but not too short as to interfere with its 
full activity. Feet firm, round and cat-like, not too large, 
spreading and loose-jointed. This distinct breed of spaniel 
does not follow exactly on the lines of the larger field spaniel, 
either in lengthiness, lowness, or otherwise, but be shorter in 
back, and rather higher on the legs. 

Coat. — Flat or waved, and silky in texture, never wiry, 
woolly, nor curly, with sufficient feather of the right sort — viz., 
waved or setter-like, but not too profuse, and never curly. 



Standards, 143 

Color. ^et black; a white shirt frill should never disqualify; 
but white feet should not be allowed in any specimen of self- 
color. 

General Appearance. — Confirmatory of all indicated above 
—viz., a concentration of pure blood and type, sagacity, do- 
cility, good temper, affection and activity. 



ANY OTHER VARIETY OF COCKER SPANIEL 

Positive Points. — Same as in the black variety. 
Negative Points. — Subject to color. Similar to those of 
the black variety. 

DESCRIPTIVE PARTICULARS. 

Head. — Similar to that of the black cocker. 

Eyes. — Dependent on color and markings. 

Ears. — Similar to those of the black cocker. 

Neck. — Similar to that of the black cocker. 

Body (including size and symmetry). — Similar to that of the 
black cocker. 

Nose. — The color will be dependent on color of coat and 
markings, in all other respects similar to the black cocker. 

Shoulders and Chest. — Similar to those of the black 
cocker. 

Back and Loin. — Similar to those of the black cocker. 

Hindquarters. — Similar in all respects to that described in 
the black cocker. 

Stern. — Identical with that of the black cocker. 

Feet and Legs. — Similar to those of the black cocker. 

Coat. — Similar in every way to the coat of the black variety, 
except in color or markings. 

Color. — Black and tan, liver and tan, black, tan and white, 
liver, tan and white, lemon and white, roans, and in fact nearly 
any combination or blending of colors. 

General Appearance. — In all respects agreeing with the 
description given for the black variety of this breed. 



A dvertisemenfs. 

Spaniels at the Stud. 

CHAMPION NEWCASTLE (5897). Clumber spaniel. 
Ben ex Joan. Winner of over forty prizes. Fee $20. 

CHAMPION BLACK PRINCE (12,524). Solid black 
field spaniel. Weight 361bs. Champion Benedict ex Mad- 
cap. Winner of twenty-three prizes. Fee $15. 

CHAMPION DOC (8511). Solid black cocker spaniel. 
Weight 22lbs. Young Obo ex Rose Obo. Winner of over 
thirty prizes. Fee $20. 

Apply to A. CLINTON WILMERDING, 

163 Broadway, New York. 

Mount Royal Kennels. 

ENGLISH SETTERS. GORDON SETTERS. 
IRISH SETTERS. POINTERS. 
COCKER SPANIELS. 

Address P. O. Box 215, Cote St. Antonie, 
Montreal, Canada. 

Yllonoc Kennels of English HJasliffs. 

AT THE STUD. 

WYOMING COUNT (9708). Sears' Monarch ex Salva. 

Whelped Nov. 16, 1887. Stud fee $20. Winner of five 

prize cards at three shows, including two silver cups at 

Ottawa. A most successful sire. 

Finely marked puppies for sale at reasonable prices for such 

high class stock. 

Address F. W. CONNOLLY, 

Fields Corner, Dorchester, Mass. 



A dvertisements. 

THE AMERICAN 

BOOK OF THE DOG 



The Origin, Development, Special Charac- 
teristics, Utility, Breeding, Training, 
Diseases and Kennel Management 
OF all Breeds of Dogs. 



Bernard Waters, Max Wenzel, B. F. Seitner, Harry Malcolm, Charles K. 
Westbrook, Col. Roger D. Williams, Dr. Q. Van Hummell, Dr. M. G. 
Ellzey, Lawrence Timpson, William Loeffler, J. L. Winchell, Wm. 
Wade, H. F. Schellhass, P. T. Madison, Wm. A. Bruette, F. H. F. 
Mercer, A. Clinton Wilmerding, J. Otis Fellows, Geo. W. Kierstead, 
August Belmont, Jr., W. H. Russell, Dr. J. S. Niven, Frank F. Dole, 
P. H. Coombs, J H. Naylor, Dr. H T. Foote, Miss A. H. Whitney, 
Henry Jarrett, J. E. Dogherty, Prof. J. H. H. Maenner, F. E. Lamb, 
L. F. Wnitman, John E. Thayer, T. J. Woodcock, W. R. Furness, G. 
W. Fisher, E. F. Burns, Mrs. Elroy Foote, Miss Marion E. Bannister, 
E. R. Spalding and Dr. J. Frank Perry ("Ashmont"). 



Edited by G. O. SHIELDS ("Coquina"), 

Author of "Cruisings in the Cascades,'' "Rustlings in the Rockies," "Hunt- 
ing in the Great West," "The Battle of the Big Hole," "The Big 
Game of North America," "Camping and Camp Outfits," etc. 

This book should be in the library of every Dog Fancier, and 
will be sent, post-paid, on receipt or price, by the Editor, 

G. O. SHIELDS, 165 Adams St., Chicago. 




k WEEKLY JOURNAL 

The Forest and Stream believes in the recreation to be found 
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if only afterward to drive the faster and grind the harder. It 
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Forest and Stream is just the paper you would like to have come 
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Its pages contain sketches of travel, adventure and observa- 
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and fishing excursions, sketches of frontier life, Indian folk lore 
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in short an inexhaustible store of •ntertaining, wholesome and 
instructive literature. Send lo cents for specimen copy. Price, 
$4.00 per year. 

FOREST AND STREAM PUBLISHING CO., 

318 Broadway. New York. 



Books 071. Outdoor Life, 

A T T^E make a specialty of 
^ ^ books on outdoor life 
and study. Our own extens- 
ive list of publications, as con- 
tained in our catalogue, is be- 
ing constantly added to. We 
can supply the best works in 
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study and recreation. Forest 
AND Stream Publishing Co., 
No. 318 Broadway, New York. 




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